What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 20th, 2025, a vans RV-10 aircraft was flown from 29D, grove city airport, to eri, Erie international airport. The aircraft was secured on a tie down for three days. On June 23rd, 2025, the vans RV-10 was involved in a ground fire incident. At approximately 1300 eastern standard time on June 23rd, the PIC performed a preflight inspection, prepared for departure, and taxied approximately 8000 feet from the north coast FBO tie down area to the runway 24 threshold. As the PIC was making the right turn from the taxiway onto runway 24, the PIC smelled what he thought was the smell of rubber, followed by the brakes becoming ineffective. The PIC notified the tower of the loss of the brakes and requested it to be towed. The aircraft came to rest in the grass. Shortly thereafter the PIC noticed smoke under the right wing. The PIC notified the tower that they would be shutting down the aircraft and evacuating the aircraft. As the PIC exited the aircraft from the left side, the PIC visually noted fire coming from the right wheel area. The PIC assisted the evacuation of the only passenger on board. The fire was extinguished, and the aircraft was towed back to the north coast FBO and stored inside of a hangar.
The aircraft had minor damage as noted:
• Right MLG tire was flat spotted and had extensive cracking throughout due to the fire.
• Right MLG wheel fairing was missing due to the wheel fire.
• Right MLG wheel showed sign’s of being overheated. The fiber-lock style nuts that secure the wheel halves appeared to be melted.
• Right MLG brake caliper was leaking hydraulic fluid onto the hangar floor.
• Right MLG gear fairing was burnt and brittle.
• Right MLG gear to wing fairing was burnt and brittle.
• Rudder did not have control cable continuity. Rudder control cables were attached at the rudder control horn but appeared to be slacked.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 20TH, 2025, A VANS RV-10 AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN FROM 29D, GROVE CITY AIRPORT, TO ERI, ERIE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SECURED ON A TIE DOWN FOR THREE DAYS. ON JUNE 23RD, 2025, THE VANS RV-10 WAS INVOLVED IN A GROUND FIRE INCIDENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 EASTERN STANDARD TIME ON JUNE 23RD, THE PIC PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE, AND TAXIED APPROXIMATELY 8000 FEET FROM THE NORTH COAST FBO TIE DOWN AREA TO THE RUNWAY 24 THRESHOLD. AS THE PIC WAS MAKING THE RIGHT TURN FROM THE TAXIWAY ONTO RUNWAY 24, THE PIC SMELLED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE SMELL OF RUBBER, FOLLOWED BY THE BRAKES BECOMING INEFFECTIVE. THE PIC NOTIFIED THE TOWER OF THE LOSS OF THE BRAKES AND REQUESTED IT TO BE TOWED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE PIC NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE RIGHT WING. THE PIC NOTIFIED THE TOWER THAT THEY WOULD BE SHUTTING DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND EVACUATING THE AIRCRAFT. AS THE PIC EXITED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE LEFT SIDE, THE PIC VISUALLY NOTED FIRE COMING FROM THE RIGHT WHEEL AREA. THE PIC ASSISTED THE EVACUATION OF THE ONLY PASSENGER ON BOARD. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE NORTH COAST FBO AND STORED INSIDE OF A HANGAR.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD MINOR DAMAGE AS NOTED:
• RIGHT MLG TIRE WAS FLAT SPOTTED AND HAD EXTENSIVE CRACKING THROUGHOUT DUE TO THE FIRE.
• RIGHT MLG WHEEL FAIRING WAS MISSING DUE TO THE WHEEL FIRE.
• RIGHT MLG WHEEL SHOWED SIGN’S OF BEING OVERHEATED. THE FIBER-LOCK STYLE NUTS THAT SECURE THE WHEEL HALVES APPEARED TO BE MELTED.
• RIGHT MLG BRAKE CALIPER WAS LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID ONTO THE HANGAR FLOOR.
• RIGHT MLG GEAR FAIRING WAS BURNT AND BRITTLE.
• RIGHT MLG GEAR TO WING FAIRING WAS BURNT AND BRITTLE.
• RUDDER DID NOT HAVE CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY. RUDDER CONTROL CABLES WERE ATTACHED AT THE RUDDER CONTROL HORN BUT APPEARED TO BE SLACKED.