20080930848179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr RV8 · Idaho Falls, ID · September 30, 2008

Date: September 30, 2008 · 18:15 local
Place: Idaho Falls, ID
Airport: Idaho Falls Regional
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N272RS
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA08LA216
Reported as: Amtr RV8
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 25,700 total131 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The aircraft was taxiing for takeoff, when the pilots started to feel excessive heat, looked down and saw flames near his feet. He stopped the aircraft, shut down the engine, turned off all switches (but not the fuel selector due to the increasing intensity of the heat), and he and his passenger evacuated the aircraft. The airport fire department arrived and put the fire out. About 15 minutes after the fire was extinguished, the fire rekindled and was again extinguished. With all electrical switches off, electrical equipment could be heard running until the negative terminal of the aircraft's battery was removed. The aircraft was moved to a hangar, where the tail of the aircraft was later elevated, and fuel was found to be leaking at the connection of the main flexible fuel line, between the engine driven fuel pump and a firewall bulkhead fitting. The 'b' nut on the fuel line at the bulkhead fitting was found only hand tight.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF, WHEN THE PILOTS STARTED TO FEEL EXCESSIVE HEAT, LOOKED DOWN AND SAW FLAMES NEAR HIS FEET. HE STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, TURNED OFF ALL SWITCHES (BUT NOT THE FUEL SELECTOR DUE TO THE INCREASING INTENSITY OF THE HEAT), AND HE AND HIS PASSENGER EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, THE FIRE REKINDLED AND WAS AGAIN EXTINGUISHED. WITH ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES OFF, ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT COULD BE HEARD RUNNING UNTIL THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL OF THE AIRCRAFT'S BATTERY WAS REMOVED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR, WHERE THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS LATER ELEVATED, AND FUEL WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING AT THE CONNECTION OF THE MAIN FLEXIBLE FUEL LINE, BETWEEN THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP AND A FIREWALL BULKHEAD FITTING. THE 'B' NUT ON THE FUEL LINE AT THE BULKHEAD FITTING WAS FOUND ONLY HAND TIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA08LA216Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportIdaho Falls, IDThe on-ground fire during taxi due to a loose fuel line "B" nut.Oct 1, 2008 · Substantial damage