What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 5, 2013 while conducting flight instruction in a PA-44-180, N435PA, the pilot attempted a restart of the left engine prior to taxi for departure at kdvt Deer Valley airport ramp area and a fire developed in the left engine. The pilot stated the aircraft had just arrived at kdvt from a flight instruction mission of approximately 1.7 flight hours. The purpose of the stop at kdvt prior to the incident was to switch out students pilots for the next flight in the aircraft.
The pilot stated that as part of the student switching process, a preflight procedure was performed followed by normal engine starting procedures. The pilot stated that the left engine had initial starting difficulty for two start attempts and a subsequent (3rd) ?flooded? Start was attempted that was unsuccessful. At that point the pilot stated that the student pilot noticed smoke coming from the left engine at which time the pilot states he told the student pilot to turn off all electrical switches and shut everything down while he (the pilot) simultaneously pulled the mixtures to cut-off and shut of both fuel selectors and verified all switches were off and evacuated the aircraft. The pilot called trans pac dispatch and maintenance arrived and extinguished the developing fire in the left hand engine compartment. There were no injuries.
The left engine carburetor air box was cracked and fire damaged consistent with an engine back fire event.
The left engine carburetor had minor exterior fire damage and the interior (throttle valve) had extensive scorching consistent with engine air induction fire damage. The engine compartment and surrounding accessories and appliances were undamaged, with the exception of scat tubing and oil breather tube insulation materials having minor fire damage.
Post incident maintenance was performed to inspect the engine, engine compartment and replace the carburetor, carburetor air box, scat tubing and clean fire extinguishing agent from the engine compartment.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 WHILE CONDUCTING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN A PA-44-180, N435PA, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RESTART OF THE LEFT ENGINE PRIOR TO TAXI FOR DEPARTURE AT KDVT DEER VALLEY AIRPORT RAMP AREA AND A FIRE DEVELOPED IN THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST ARRIVED AT KDVT FROM A FLIGHT INSTRUCTION MISSION OF APPROXIMATELY 1.7 FLIGHT HOURS. THE PURPOSE OF THE STOP AT KDVT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT WAS TO SWITCH OUT STUDENTS PILOTS FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT AS PART OF THE STUDENT SWITCHING PROCESS, A PREFLIGHT PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED FOLLOWED BY NORMAL ENGINE STARTING PROCEDURES. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE HAD INITIAL STARTING DIFFICULTY FOR TWO START ATTEMPTS AND A SUBSEQUENT (3RD) ?FLOODED? START WAS ATTEMPTED THAT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT ENGINE AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT STATES HE TOLD THE STUDENT PILOT TO TURN OFF ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES AND SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN WHILE HE (THE PILOT) SIMULTANEOUSLY PULLED THE MIXTURES TO CUT-OFF AND SHUT OF BOTH FUEL SELECTORS AND VERIFIED ALL SWITCHES WERE OFF AND EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT CALLED TRANS PAC DISPATCH AND MAINTENANCE ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE DEVELOPING FIRE IN THE LEFT HAND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
THE LEFT ENGINE CARBURETOR AIR BOX WAS CRACKED AND FIRE DAMAGED CONSISTENT WITH AN ENGINE BACK FIRE EVENT.
THE LEFT ENGINE CARBURETOR HAD MINOR EXTERIOR FIRE DAMAGE AND THE INTERIOR (THROTTLE VALVE) HAD EXTENSIVE SCORCHING CONSISTENT WITH ENGINE AIR INDUCTION FIRE DAMAGE. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SURROUNDING ACCESSORIES AND APPLIANCES WERE UNDAMAGED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SCAT TUBING AND OIL BREATHER TUBE INSULATION MATERIALS HAVING MINOR FIRE DAMAGE.
POST INCIDENT MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED TO INSPECT THE ENGINE, ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND REPLACE THE CARBURETOR, CARBURETOR AIR BOX, SCAT TUBING AND CLEAN FIRE EXTINGUISHING AGENT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Other reports on N435PA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.