What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 21, 2023 at approximately 1057 CST, a Piper PA-31-350 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after the right engine experienced an inflight fire. The pilot reported he had climbed to 11,500 feet altitude and had been flying for approximately one hour when he heard and felt a bang on the right side of the aircraft. He observed that the right engine nacelle had a hole in it and the engine was on fire. He immediately moved the right engine mixture to idle and cut off fuel to the engine at which point the fire appeared to have extinguished. The pilot then looked for the closest airport which could provide emergency response services and chose Durant regional airport, Oklahoma. While on final approach to the airport, the pilot reported that the fire on the right engine appeared to have reignited. He verified once again that fuel was shut off to the right engine and proceeded with the landing. Upon landing, the pilot brought the aircraft to a stop as soon as possible, shut down the left engine, and exited the aircraft to a safe distance with the right engine still on fire. By the time fire department personnel were able to arrive on scene, the entire right side of the aircraft to include the right wing was engulfed in flames. The fire was eventually extinguished but the entire right side of the aircraft was destroyed due to the fire. The pilot was the only one on the aircraft during the flight and was not injured. After coordination with airport personnel and the NTSB, what remained of the aircraft was moved to a location where regular airport operations could be resumed. The NTSB has contacted Lycoming periodically by email between August 2023 and January 2024 requesting onsite support to look at the right engine but scheduling conflicts to this point have not allowed this to occur. On January 19, 2024 this office performed an onsite visit to look at the right engine involved in the inflight fire. This visit revealed that the #2 engine cylinder head had separated from the engine crankcase indicating a possible thrown cylinder connecting rod internal to the engine which may have led to the bang, resultant fire, and hole in the right engine nacelle. From the information known at this point, it appears as though the failure and separation of the #2 cylinder from the engine was what led to this accident and may be confirmed once Lycoming has had an opportunity to inspect the right engine. Associated sas activity is SW15202303810.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 21, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1057 CST, A PIPER PA-31-350 AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER THE RIGHT ENGINE EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT FIRE. THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD CLIMBED TO 11,500 FEET ALTITUDE AND HAD BEEN FLYING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR WHEN HE HEARD AND FELT A BANG ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE HAD A HOLE IN IT AND THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. HE IMMEDIATELY MOVED THE RIGHT ENGINE MIXTURE TO IDLE AND CUT OFF FUEL TO THE ENGINE AT WHICH POINT THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE EXTINGUISHED. THE PILOT THEN LOOKED FOR THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WHICH COULD PROVIDE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICES AND CHOSE DURANT REGIONAL AIRPORT, OKLAHOMA. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FIRE ON THE RIGHT ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE REIGNITED. HE VERIFIED ONCE AGAIN THAT FUEL WAS SHUT OFF TO THE RIGHT ENGINE AND PROCEEDED WITH THE LANDING. UPON LANDING, THE PILOT BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO A STOP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO A SAFE DISTANCE WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE STILL ON FIRE. BY THE TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO ARRIVE ON SCENE, THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO INCLUDE THE RIGHT WING WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS EVENTUALLY EXTINGUISHED BUT THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED DUE TO THE FIRE. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE FLIGHT AND WAS NOT INJURED. AFTER COORDINATION WITH AIRPORT PERSONNEL AND THE NTSB, WHAT REMAINED OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A LOCATION WHERE REGULAR AIRPORT OPERATIONS COULD BE RESUMED. THE NTSB HAS CONTACTED LYCOMING PERIODICALLY BY EMAIL BETWEEN AUGUST 2023 AND JANUARY 2024 REQUESTING ONSITE SUPPORT TO LOOK AT THE RIGHT ENGINE BUT SCHEDULING CONFLICTS TO THIS POINT HAVE NOT ALLOWED THIS TO OCCUR. ON JANUARY 19, 2024 THIS OFFICE PERFORMED AN ONSITE VISIT TO LOOK AT THE RIGHT ENGINE INVOLVED IN THE INFLIGHT FIRE. THIS VISIT REVEALED THAT THE #2 ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE CRANKCASE INDICATING A POSSIBLE THROWN CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD INTERNAL TO THE ENGINE WHICH MAY HAVE LED TO THE BANG, RESULTANT FIRE, AND HOLE IN THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE. FROM THE INFORMATION KNOWN AT THIS POINT, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE FAILURE AND SEPARATION OF THE #2 CYLINDER FROM THE ENGINE WAS WHAT LED TO THIS ACCIDENT AND MAY BE CONFIRMED ONCE LYCOMING HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO INSPECT THE RIGHT ENGINE. ASSOCIATED SAS ACTIVITY IS SW15202303810.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.