# NTSB ANC14IA028: Piper PA 28-181, N30541, South Naknek, AK, May 14, 2014 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: May 14, 2014, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: South Naknek, AK - Coordinates: 58.704444, -157.008331 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=58.7044&lon=-157.0083&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Taxi-to runway: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 11, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA Anchorage FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 89235 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC14IA028 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89235/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89235 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC14IA028 ## Probable cause A fire in the airplane’s engine compartment that initiated for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive fire damage. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he was taxiing the airplane for departure when he and his passengers smelled smoke in the cabin. He shut the engine down, and he and the passengers then evacuated the airplane. After escorting the passengers to a safe location, he saw smoke coming from the engine cowling area and attempted to put out any fire with a fire extinguisher; however, his attempt to put out the fire was unsuccessful, and the fire continued to burn a majority of the fuselage. Due to extensive fire damage, the initiation source of the fire could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On May 14, 2014, about 1400 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA 28-181 airplane, N30541, was involved in a ground fire at the South Naknek Airport, South Naknek, Alaska. The commercial pilot and two passengers had evacuated the airplane prior to the fire, and were not injured. The airplane was being operated by King Air, Inc., Naknek, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) non-scheduled commuter flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 when the incident occurred. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the two mile flight to Naknek. In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot stated that he was taxiing out for departure when he smelled smoke in the cabin. He verified with a passenger that indeed there was a smoke smell in the cabin, and then shut the airplane's engine down, and evacuated the airplane. After evacuating the airplane and escorting the passengers to a safe location, he saw smoke coming from the engine cowling area, and attempted to put out any fire with the airplane's fire extinguisher. His attempt to put out the fire was unsuccessful, and the fire continued to burn a majority of the airplane's fuselage. The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-360-A4M carburated, reciprocating engine. The engine was examined on scene by a Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector from the Anchorage Flight Standards District Office. Due to the extent of the fire damage, the inspector was unable to determine the initiation point of the fire. One of the recovered fuel fittings was sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for examination, and the examination revealed that the fracture surfaces were consistent with an overstress fracture while the fitting was at elevated temperatures. No indications of preexisting cracking were noted. ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi-to runway: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) (defining event) - [Standing: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N30541](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N30541-2018-03-22), registration cancelled 2018-03-22, S/N 28-7990095, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA 28-181 (181) - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102807) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-7990095 - Year built: 1978 - Engines: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER reciprocating - Damage: No damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: King Air Inc - Registered owner: King Air Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: WSN, South Naknek, AK - Destination: Naknek, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: WSN, South Naknek Nr 2, runway 12, 3,314 × 60 ft, dirt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,300 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 25 °F - Altimeter: 30.37 inHg - Observed at: PAKN, 11 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20140514008659I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140514008659I), May 14, 2014: Piper PA-28-181, South Naknek, AK, Destroyed. While taxiing for departure, aircraft caught fire, originating from the engine compartment. Pilot aborted taxi, shutdown aircraft, discontinuing intent for… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89235. 681 KB in all. - FAA Inspectors Statement (item 1, .PDF, 43 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428233&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspectors%20Statement-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - Front Side View of Airplane (item 2, .PDF, 638 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428234&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Front%20Side%20View%20of%20Airplane-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.