What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday, April 26th, at approximately 1405 EDT the rocheter, NY FSDO received notification from e-roc of an aircraft was engulfed in fire and the pilot evacuated without injury. No other passengers were aboard the aircraft. Based on the pilots statement, the pilot intended to fly the aircraft to airport where annual inspection was to be performed. While preparing for the flight and loading the aircraft, he inadvertently dropped his portable ADS-B in receiver and portable/power bank used to power the receiver, causing visable damage to case. The ADS-B receiver, inop after damaged, was placed on back seat behind pilot. After boarding the aircraft and taxiing to the run-up area, he noticed smoke and smelled an oder of burning coming from the back seat. Upon investigation, he observed flames, prompting him to evacuate the aircraft unharmed. An attempt was made to retrieve items from inside the aircraft; however, the fire had spread too rapidly. The local fire department, contacted by the FBO, arrived promptly, extinguished the fire, and relocated the aircraft to a segregated area on the airport premises. Inspectors from the roc FSDO arrived on-scene at approximately 1600 EDT. The aircraft suffered extensive damage, including destruction from firewall aft to the forward tail section and between the wing roots. While it is speculated that fire may have been caused by thermal runaway of the portable ADS-B receiver battery, potentially triggered by damage sustained from impact on the ramp, the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined due to insufficient evidence remaining after the fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH, AT APPROXIMATELY 1405 EDT THE ROCHETER, NY FSDO RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM E-ROC OF AN AIRCRAFT WAS ENGULFED IN FIRE AND THE PILOT EVACUATED WITHOUT INJURY. NO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT.BASED ON THE PILOTS STATEMENT, THE PILOT INTENDED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT TO AIRPORT WHERE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS TO BE PERFORMED. WHILE PREPARING FOR THE FLIGHT AND LOADING THE AIRCRAFT, HE INADVERTENTLY DROPPED HIS PORTABLE ADS-B IN RECEIVER AND PORTABLE/POWER BANK USED TO POWER THE RECEIVER, CAUSING VISABLE DAMAGE TO CASE. THE ADS-B RECEIVER, INOP AFTER DAMAGED, WAS PLACED ON BACK SEAT BEHIND PILOT. AFTER BOARDING THE AIRCRAFT AND TAXIING TO THE RUN-UP AREA, HE NOTICED SMOKE AND SMELLED AN ODER OF BURNING COMING FROM THE BACK SEAT. UPON INVESTIGATION, HE OBSERVED FLAMES, PROMPTING HIM TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT UNHARMED. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RETRIEVE ITEMS FROM INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT; HOWEVER, THE FIRE HAD SPREAD TOO RAPIDLY. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, CONTACTED BY THE FBO, ARRIVED PROMPTLY, EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND RELOCATED THE AIRCRAFT TO A SEGREGATED AREA ON THE AIRPORT PREMISES. INSPECTORS FROM THE ROC FSDO ARRIVED ON-SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 EDT. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, INCLUDING DESTRUCTION FROM FIREWALL AFT TO THE FORWARD TAIL SECTION AND BETWEEN THE WING ROOTS. WHILE IT IS SPECULATED THAT FIRE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THERMAL RUNAWAY OF THE PORTABLE ADS-B RECEIVER BATTERY, POTENTIALLY TRIGGERED BY DAMAGE SUSTAINED FROM IMPACT ON THE RAMP, THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE REMAINS UNDETERMINED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE REMAINING AFTER THE FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.