ATL97LA050

After stopping at the hold short line in preparation for takeoff, the pilot noticed a fire from under the right wing. He called for ARFF personnel and evacuated the airplane. The fire was extinguished. Examination revealed that the fire had been burning from the right wheel assembly, not the wing. Further examination of the wheel showed the brakes seals were worn, and there was no brake fluid in the reservoir. The brake linings and discs were badly scoured. The brake pads had not been replaced in over 400 hours. The master brake cylinder was replaced 8 days before the accident, during an annual inspection.

On March 15, 1997, about 2105 central standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N1102N, experienced a fire around the right main wheel during the taxi for takeoff from runway 36C at Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tennessee. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and instrument flight rules. An instrument flight plan had been filed for the executive flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. There were no injuries to the commercial pilot nor the four passengers, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the pilot, as he stopped at the runway hold-short line for an engine run-up, he noted flames from the underside of the right wing. The engine was shutdown, ARFF was requested, and the airplane evacuated. The pilot stated after exiting the airplane that the flame appeared to involve the right main wheel. The underside of the wing was not on fire. After the fire was extinguished by ARFF personnel, the airplane was towed to a local fixed base operator.

During the taxi, according to the pilot, there were no symptoms of a dragging brake. He also stated that he used minimal brake application during the taxi, with no brake application while on the taxiway adjacent to the runway. The pilot also stated he saw no leaks during his pre-flight inspection of the airplane.

Examination of the right brake and wheel assembly revealed that there was no brake fluid in the reservoir, leading to a lack of brake pressure. When the brake was disassembled, the parts were all found to be the recommended parts. The brake linings and discs were badly scoured. The discs also had metal transfer from the linings due to heat. The piston seals were worn and allowing fluid seepage.

The wheel assembly appeared to be normal. The wheel cover was missing, but there was a piece of fiberglass that appeared to never have been "wetted out." A hole was burned through the lower wing which exposed the cables and spar to extreme heat. According to the inspector, "it was not possible to ascertain what caused the initial scouring and heat from the brake pads, possibly worn or binding parts, however this appears to have created enough heat to start a fire on the fluid soaked wheel cover and fiberglass materials."

The maintenance logbooks were reviewed, and it was noted that the master brake cylinder was replaced on March 7, 1997. The right brake pads were replaced in 1993, 400 hours ago. No maintenance had been done on the calipers since that time.