ANC97LA055

The air taxi pilot/company owner was taking off from his base of operations airport in rural Alaska with a new hire pilot and four passengers. About one mile from the airport, the pilot and passengers saw and smelled smoke. The pilot immediately returned and landed. At the pilot's request, the new hire pilot exited the airplane, checked the engine oil dipstick for security, and then reentered the cockpit. The pilot made another takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, smoke began to fill the cockpit, and flame was visible coming from the engine cowling. An emergency landing was made just off the airport on a small island. The occupants of the airplane extinguished the fire with water and a small fire extinguisher. Postaccident inspection disclosed a loose exhaust manifold and fire damage in the vicinity of the exposed exhaust ports. Nuts which affix the exhaust manifold to the engine were found in the bottom of the cowling. The airplane had maintenance performed about one month previously which necessitated the removal of the left manifold.

On April 12, 1997, about 1540 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-32 airplane, N9000N, owned and operated by Kusko Aviation, sustained substantial damage following an engine fire and subsequent forced landing shortly after takeoff from the Quinhagak Airport, Quinhagak, Alaska. The two commercial certificated pilots aboard were not injured; the four passengers aboard have not reported any injuries. The 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight was departing Quinhagak en route to Goodnews, Alaska. The flight operated in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot-in-command was the owner of the company; the second pilot had just been hired, and was along on a familiarization ride.

Information received from the pilot-in-command and one of the passengers, revealed that the airplane departed Quinhagak about 1520. About a mile from the airport, the pilot and passengers noted a small amount of smoke in the cockpit and cabin. The pilot returned and landed. The second pilot checked the oil dip stick for security, and then reentered the cockpit. The pilot elected to takeoff again. Shortly after liftoff, smoke begin to fill the cockpit, and visible flame was observed coming from the engine cowling. The pilot reduced power and made an emergency off airport landing on Willow-covered terrain about 100 yards off the departure end of runway 04.

The occupants exited the airplane, and the fire was extinguished by throwing buckets of water on the engine and using a hand-held fire extinguisher.

FAA inspectors traveled to the accident site on June 18 and inspected the wreckage. They noted that the engine's left exhaust collector was disconnected from the numbers 2,4, and 6, cylinders. The collector was pulled away from the exhaust ports, "allowing open exhaust flame to ignite the intake paper air filter, scat tubing, wiring, and fuel flow meter rubber vent line." The nuts which secure the collector were found in the bottom of the engine cowling. The studs which the nuts screwed onto were observed to be black and sooty. The inspectors noted that maintenance work (gaskets replaced on numbers 4 and 6 cylinders) had been performed on the engine on March 18, 1997. The work performed would have necessitated removing the left exhaust collector.