What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot privacy data omitted made a flight from smyrna, TN (mqy) to Dalton, GA (dnn) to drop off a friend/passenger privacy data omitted. Flight was routine & nothing out of the ordinary was experienced. Unloaded passenger's baggage and returned to the plane to depart back to nashville/smyrna. The plane did not start up & small flame shot from the exhaust pipe. Thought engine exhaust was overheated & let sit to cool down. Called passenger on cell to sit in her car while I let the engine/exhaust pipe cool. He waited 10-20 minutes while it cooled down. After that he went back to make a visual inspection of the aircraft engine compartment. He noticed no leaks and everything seemed to still be in proper working order. When he went to start up the engine again the engine caught on fire. The pilot jumped out but was unable to put out the fire. The pilot called 911 to report the fire. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A FLIGHT FROM SMYRNA, TN (MQY) TO DALTON, GA (DNN) TO DROP OFF A FRIEND/PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. FLIGHT WAS ROUTINE & NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WAS EXPERIENCED. UNLOADED PASSENGER'S BAGGAGE AND RETURNED TO THE PLANE TO DEPART BACK TO NASHVILLE/SMYRNA. THE PLANE DID NOT START UP & SMALL FLAME SHOT FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THOUGHT ENGINE EXHAUST WAS OVERHEATED & LET SIT TO COOL DOWN. CALLED PASSENGER ON CELL TO SIT IN HER CAR WHILE I LET THE ENGINE/EXHAUST PIPE COOL. HE WAITED 10-20 MINUTES WHILE IT COOLED DOWN. AFTER THAT HE WENT BACK TO MAKE A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE NOTICED NO LEAKS AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO STILL BE IN PROPER WORKING ORDER. WHEN HE WENT TO START UP THE ENGINE AGAIN THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PILOT JUMPED OUT BUT WAS UNABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE PILOT CALLED 911 TO REPORT THE FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.