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.
Pilot taxied to the runway and completed the engine run-up checks at the runway hold short line. When pulling the throttles back to idle after the run-up he heard a sound that was later determined to be fuel vapor igniting. At the time he didn?t know what it was. The passenger informed him that the left wall panel had been blown out towards his leg and he saw smoke from the vent on the center wing spare cover. Later investigation revealed engine fuel pump shaft seal had failed allowing fuel to seep out the drain line and traveled along the bottom of the wing spar and collected in the belly of the fuselage where the vapors ignited when an electrical component actuated.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY AND COMPLETED THE ENGINE RUN-UP CHECKS AT THE RUNWAY HOLD SHORT LINE. WHEN PULLING THE THROTTLES BACK TO IDLE AFTER THE RUN-UP HE HEARD A SOUND THAT WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE FUEL VAPOR IGNITING. AT THE TIME HE DIDN?T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. THE PASSENGER INFORMED HIM THAT THE LEFT WALL PANEL HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT TOWARDS HIS LEG AND HE SAW SMOKE FROM THE VENT ON THE CENTER WING SPARE COVER. LATER INVESTIGATION REVEALED ENGINE FUEL PUMP SHAFT SEAL HAD FAILED ALLOWING FUEL TO SEEP OUT THE DRAIN LINE AND TRAVELED ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE WING SPAR AND COLLECTED IN THE BELLY OF THE FUSELAGE WHERE THE VAPORS IGNITED WHEN AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT ACTUATED.
Other reports on N1872H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.