20230205002919A

EAU CLAIRE, WI (EAU): ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PA28, PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO START ENGINE AND A FIRE ENSUED. PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ESCAPED. EMERGENCY VEHICLES EXTINGUISHED FIRE BUT FUSELAGE WAS DAMAGED. ACFT HAD NOT YET ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATIONS WITH TOWER. POB: 3, INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: EXTENSIVE. 02/05/2023 1855Z

ON 2/06/2023 THIS EVENT WAS DISCUSSED THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT, WHO OFFERED THE FOLLOWING:

AT APPROXIMATELY 0940 ON 2/05/2023 THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH TWO NON-PILOT OCCUPANTS WERE PREPARING FOR A RECREATIONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED ON THE RAMP OUTSIDE OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR AT THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (EAU) EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREFLIGHT CHECKED AND NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED. THE PILOT REPORTED MODERATE WIND GUSTS BETWEEN THE HANGARS AND TAXIWAY ADJACENT TO THE AIRCRAFT LOCATION.

THE ENGINE WAS PREHEATED WITH A TANNUS ENGINE BLOCK HEATER FOR 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO STARTING. WITH EACH START ATTEMPT THE ENGINE WOULD FIRE AND RUN, BUT ONLY FOR A FEW SECONDS DURATION. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT EXTERIOR BETWEEN START ATTEMPTS AND NOTICED NO ABNORMALITIES. AFTER NUMEROUS FAILED START ATTEMPTS, THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY DEPLETED AND WOULD NOT CRANK THE ENGINE. THE PILOT WAS FOLLOWING THE ENGINE STARTING PROCEDURES IN THE PIPER AIRCRAFT PA-28-181 OWNER’S MANUAL. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS PREPARED TO SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND POSTPONE THEIR FLIGHT ACTIVITIES UNTIL A MECHANIC EVALUATED THE AIRCRAFT.

AS THE OCCUPANT SITTING IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, HE NOTED SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE FORWARD RIGHT UPPER ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MOMENTS LATER HE OBSERVED OPEN FLAMES PRESENT AT THE LEFT SIDE, LOWER FRONT OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE PILOT CALLED 911 AND EVACUATED THE IMMEDIATE AREA WITH THE TWO OCCUPANTS. THE AIRPORT FIRE RESPONSE TEAM CONTAINED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE USING WATER. THE AIRCRAFT COCKPIT AND CABIN WERE CONSUMED BY THE FIRE, AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT RIGHT WING FUEL TANK AREA WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED.

THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS LAST FLOWN 12/11/2022. PLANS WERE MADE TO FLY ON 12/25/2022 BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT START DUE TO COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS.

ON 2/07/2023 THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATOR WAS REQUESTED TO SUBMIT NTSB REPORT 61201.1 AND WAS PROVIDED AN FAA COMPLIANCE ACTION AND AIRMAN’S RIGHTS BROCHURE. ON 2/08/2023 THE NTSB REPORT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE PILOT AND FORWARDED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR ASSIGNED TO THIS ACCIDENT.

ON 2/15/2023, PERSONNEL FROM THE MKE FSDO CONDUCTED AN INSPECTION OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS SITUATED AT THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR AT EAU. THE ENGINE COWLING EXHIBITED HEAT DAMAGE AND DISCOLORATION THROUGHOUT, WITH AN AREA OF BURN-THROUGH OF ARPPROXIMATELY ONE SQUARE FOOT NEAR THE UPPER AFT END, FORWARD OF THE FIREWALL. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT EXHIBITED EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT AFT CORNER BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AND ENGINE CASE. THE OIL COOLER UNIT HAD SEPARATED FROM ITS FIREWALL MOUNTING AND THE SUPPLY LINES FAILED DUE TO HEAT.

APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES OF FUEL PRIMER LINE TO THE RIGHT AFT CYLINDER WAS UNACCOUNTED FOR, BETWEEN THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE FUEL PRIMER NOZZLE. THE REMAINING FUEL LINES WERE INTACT BUT SOOTED AND BURNED.