CEN12FA395

As he was approaching the destination airport, the pilot of the amateur-built airplane reported that the airplane was on fire. The pilot landed the airplane in a cornfield with its wings level and at a 5 degree descent angle. He was not able to exit the airplane and perished. Examination of the airplane showed that the fire was concentrated in the area between the airplane’s firewall and instrument panel where the fuselage-mounted header tank would have been. Only portions of the header tank and the fuel system within the cockpit were identifiable. The remainder of the fuel system components were consumed by the fire. The postaccident examination did not show any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or abnormalities, although the damage was too extensive to determine the reason for the in-flight fire.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 26, 2012, about 0737 central daylight time, an amateur-built Nappi Lancair 235M, N18TN, was substantially damaged during an in-flight fire and subsequent off-airport landing. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane sustained significant fire damage to the fuselage and inboard portions of both wings. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Meadow Creek Airport (2IL9), Monee, Illinois, about 0700, and was en route to the Chicago/ Rockford International Airport (RFD), Rockford, Illinois. Review of voice communications indicated that the pilot contacted RFD approach control while en route. Radar contact was established and the pilot was instructed to enter a right base leg for runway 1 at RFD. The pilot acknowledged. All communications to this point appeared normal. A short time later, the pilot radioed that the airplane was on fire. The pilot's voice in this communication sounded distressed. There were no further communications received from the accident airplane. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The 77 year old pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate, with a restriction for glasses for near vision, on August 19, 2010. The pilot’s flight logbook was not recovered for review during the accident investigation; however, a flight instructor indicated that the pilot had completed a flight review as required by 14 CFR 61.56 on February 26, 2010. No records were recovered that would indicate that a more recent flight review had been received by the pilot. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was an amateur-built Lancair 235M, serial number 117. The kit-built, two-seat, single-engine, low-wing, retractable gear, monoplane was constructed predominately of composite materials. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-320-B1C engine bearing serial number L5769-55A. The engine was rated to produce 160 horsepower. A review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the most recent condition inspection was completed on October 17, 2005. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION Weather conditions recorded by the RFD Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), located about 7 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, at 0754, were: wind from 120 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet above ground level (agl), temperature 18 degrees Celsius, dew point 11 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 30.08 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane came to rest in an unharvested corn field. The standing corn was about 5 feet tall. The path through the corn was consistent with the airplane descending into the corn field in a wings level attitude at a downward angle ofabout 5 degrees. The airplane then skidded to a stop in an upright position. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that all flight control surfaces and major structural components remained attached to the airplane. The left landing gear had separated during the emergency landing and was found between the initial impact point and the main wreckage. Examination of the flight control system revealed no anomalies that were determined to have existed prior to the accident. The wreckage showed evidence of severe fire damage in the forward cockpit area. The fire damage in the engine compartment, aft fuselage, and inboard wings was less severe. The instrument panel was unrecognizable and only portions of molten metal were identifiable as remnants of flight instruments. A portion of a fuel sump from the fuselage header fuel tank was found, but the remainder of the fuel tank was not found. The fire appeared to be concentrated in the area between the firewall and the instrument panel where the fuselage mounted header tank would have been. The wing fuel tanks appeared intact with fire damage to the wings inboard of the location of the fuel tanks. No fuel could be seen inside the tanks when viewed through the fuel filler caps. During recovery of the wreckage a small amount of liquid that smelled like aviation gasoline was observed to leak from the right wing fuel tank. The postaccident examination did not show any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or abnormalities, although the damage was too extensive to determine the reason for the in-flight fire. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Ogle County Coroner's Office, Oregon, Illinois, on June 27, 2012. The pilot's death was attributed to inhalation of products of combustion and thermal injury. Toxicology samples were sent to the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. The samples received were severely putrefied and not suitable for analyses. TESTS AND RESEARCH An examination of the fuel system of an exemplar airplane was performed to determine the fuel system layout. The exemplar airplane had one tank in each wing and a fuselage mounted header fuel tank located between the airplane’s firewall and the instrument panel. Fuel from the wing tanks was transferred from the wing tanks to the header tank through electric transfer pumps. Fuel would then flow from the header tank to the engine.