# Incident 20120428006419I: Collins Richard G RV-6, Hartford, CT, April 28, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 28, 2012, 22:20 local time
- Place: Hartford, CT
- Airport: Hartford-Brainard
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.7367° N, 72.6494° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at HARTFORD-BRAINARD (HFD), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7367&lon=-72.6494&mi=10
- Aircraft: N356DS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N356DS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Collins Richard G RV-6 (registry code 05617P6, https://openairdocs.org/model/collins-richard-g-rv-6) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (registry code 41594, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a1a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: COLLINS RICHARD G RV-6
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360-A1A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 14,500 total, 150 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120428006419I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AT APPROXIMATELY 22:20 EDT AIRCRAFT N356DS, AN EXPERIMENTAL RV-6, S/N 3486P, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 02 AT HARTFORD/BRAINARD AIRPORT (HFD) AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE INFIELD GRASS AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 22:26 EDT. PERSONNEL IN THE CONTROL TOWER STATED THAT FLAMES WERE VISIBLE ON FINAL APPROACH. THE PILOT ESCAPED UNINJURED JUST AS AIRCRAFT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS ENROUTE  FROM NORTHAMPTON AIRPORT (7B2) TO MERIDEN AIRPORT (KMMK). WEATHER WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WIND 340/05, 10 MILES VISIBILITY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO VIBRATE JUST PRIOR TO SMOKE FILLING THE COCKPIT AND THAT AS SOON AS THE VIBRATION STARTED HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND SELECTED THE FUEL LEVER TO OFF. HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO SEPARATE MEANS BY WHICH THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE CAN BE MONITORED AND AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY INDICATION OF LOW OR ZERO OIL PRESSURE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE LEFT LOWER FIBERGLASS COWL WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE; THE RIGHT LOWER COWL FORWARD PORTION JUST UNDER THE PROP WAS BURNED. THE LOWER COWL ALUMINUM PANEL ATTACHED TO THE CARBURETOR AIR BOX WAS MISSING APPARENTLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE UPPER COWLING SHOWED SIGNS OF SCORCHING AND HEAT DISTRESS. THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS COVERED IN SOOT AND BOTH BLADE ROOTS ALSO SHOWED SIGNS OF HEAT DISTRESS. THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE CONCENTRATED TO THE FORWARD LOWER LEFT PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE LOWER FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COVERED WITH OIL AND WAS DRIPPING OFF AT THE TAIL WHEEL.  REMOVAL OF THE UPPER COWLING REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE. THE UPPER LEFT HALF OF THE ENGINE CRANK CASE HAD BROKEN INTO SEVERAL SMALL PIECES ADJACENT TO THE #2 AND #4 CYLINDERS. THE TOP TWO ATTACH STUDS ON BOTH CYLINDERS WERE SHEARED BUT ALL LOWER ONES WERE INTACT AND TIGHT. BOTH THE #2 & #3 PISTON TIE RODS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT AND SHOWED SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. THE PROPELLER WAS ROTATED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT WAS INTACT. THE #2 CYLINDER ROCKER OIL DRAIN TUBE WAS SEPARATED AND THE #4 ROCKER DRAIN WAS SPLIT, IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THIS HAPPENED PRE OR POST FIRE. ALL OIL LINES TO THE OIL COOLER WERE FOUND TO INTACT AND UNDAMAGED. THE OIL DRAIN WAS SECURELY LOCKED CLOSED AND THE OIL CAP WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY. ALL FUEL LINES APPEARED TO BE CONNECTED AND INTACT.THE ENGINE WAS A TYPE CERTIFICATED ENGINE WITH A TOTAL OF 280 HOURS. REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWED THAT THE LAST DOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED WAS A CONDITION INSPECTION ON 6/3/2011 AT 272 HOURS, WHICH INCLUDED AN OIL CHANGE AND COMPRESSION CHECK.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.