# NTSB ERA09LA199: Shniderman Ervin Stanley LONG-EZ, N770EZ, Manassas, VA, March 14, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 14, 2009, 10:20 local (14:20 UTC) - Place: Manassas, VA - Coordinates: 38.721389, -77.515274 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7214&lon=-77.5153&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: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 22, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 73492 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA09LA199 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73492/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73492 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA199 ## Probable cause A fire of undetermined origin in the engine compartment. ## 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); cases with it: [Shniderman Ervin Stanley LONG-EZ, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=05609ZX), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## 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); cases with it: [Shniderman Ervin Stanley LONG-EZ, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md?model=05609ZX), [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md) ## Analysis While taxiing the airplane for departure, air traffic control alerted the pilot that his airplane's engine was on fire. The pilot responded by shutting down the engine, turning off the fuel selector and the electrical master switch, and exiting the airplane. Personnel from the local fixed based operator arrived and suppressed most of the fire until the local off-airport fire department could arrive to put out the remainder. The fire damage was limited to the right side of the engine compartment. The area of the origin for the fire was the right forward side of the engine compartment based on the severity of the damage. The exact source of fuel and ignition of the fire could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On March 14, 2009, about 1020 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Long-EZ, N770EZ, was substantially damaged during a ground fire before takeoff from Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), Manassas, Virginia. The certificated airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules air defense identification zone flight plan was filed for the flight. The personal flight, destined for Venango Regional Airport (FKL), Franklin, Pennsylvania, was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot's written statement and a subsequent interview, during the pre-takeoff engine run-up, he experienced engine roughness upon switching to the right magneto, and attempted to resolve the issue by increasing engine rpm to 2,200 and leaning the fuel mixture. He further stated that the engine ran smoothly on either magneto at 1,700 rpm, but when the rpm was increased to 2,200 and only the right magneto was used, engine roughness occurred. The pilot initially elected to abort the flight, but after he taxied to his hangar tested the magnetos again, and noted no abnormalities. He then decided to taxi the airplane back to the run-up area. As the airplane approached the run-up area, the air traffic controller informed the pilot that his engine was on fire. In response, the pilot shut down the engine, turned off the fuel selector and the electrical master switch, and exited the airplane. Personnel from the local fixed base operator arrived shortly thereafter, and suppressed the fire with a dry chemical extinguishing agent. The local off-airport fire department arrived shortly thereafter, and extinguished the fire with water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine, and portions of the wing that were in close proximity to the engine. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and multiengine land, and a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single engine, airplane multiengine, and instrument airplane. The pilot had accumulated 3,939 total hours of flight experience, and 187 hours in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on February 15, 2008, with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses." The airplane's most recent condition inspection was completed on December 29, 2008. As of that date, the airplane had accumulated 1,092 total hours of operation. According to the pilot, the accident flight was to be the second one since the condition inspection, and the airplane had accumulated only about 1 flight hour since the inspection. The airplane was of a fiberglass construction and equipped with a Lycoming O-235-C2C engine installed as a pusher configuration. The airplane was examined by a National Transportation Safety Board fire expert on March 18, 2009.The firedamage was limited to the right side of the engine compartment, particularly the forward portion of the compartment. The upper engine cowlings exhibited fire damage and the lower cowling exhibited thermal damage. Portions of the right wing root contained areas where the resin had burned away, so that only the glass fiber remained. There was heavy soot residue over most of the engine surfaces, and thermal damage to many of the engine accessories. The majority of the damage was limited to the right forward side of the engine, just above the exhaust manifold. The oil lines were located in this area, and their fire sleeves were charred. The insulation on the electrical wiring in this area had melted away, and no evidence of arcing was observed. Fuel lines located above the fire-damaged area of the engine compartment were melted through. No obvious pre-fire failures were found during the visual examination. The 0955 weather observation at HEF included calm winds, 7 statute miles visibility, few clouds at 1,000 feet, temperature 3 degrees Celsius (C), dewpoint 0 degrees C, and altimeter setting of 30.35 inches of mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N770EZ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N770EZ-2013-02-01), registration cancelled 2013-02-01, S/N 1276, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SHNIDERMAN ERVIN STANLEY LONG-EZ - Registry model: [Shniderman Ervin Stanley LONG-EZ](https://openairdocs.org/model/shniderman-ervin-stanley-long-ez) (registry code 05609ZX) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1276 - Airframe hours: 1092 - Engines: LYCOMING 0-320-D3G 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, December 29, 2008, 1 hours before - Departed: HEF, Manassas, VA - Destination: FKL, Franklin, PA - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: HEF, Manassas Regional Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 60; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 1, 2009; seat: front; flight hours: 3,939 total, 187 in this make and model, 3,840 as pilot in command, 9 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 30.35 inHg - Observed at: HEF ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 16, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73492. 1.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 592 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40323293&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Pilot Statement (item 2, .PDF, 39 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40323315&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Materials Laboratory 15 - Fire Factual Report 09-053 (item 3, .PDF, 318 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40317013&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%2015%20-%20Fire%20Factual%20Report%2009-053-Master.PDF - Excerpts from Aircraft Engine Logbooks (item 4, .PDF, 142 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40323295&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20from%20Aircraft%20Engine%20Logbooks-Redacted.PDF - Weather: KHEF METARs (item 5, .PDF, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40323296&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%3A%20KHEF%20METARs-Master.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 6, .PDF, 54 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40323299&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Redacted.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.