ERA25LA242

The pilot reported that the airplane had undergone extensive maintenance on the airframe and the engine; however, review of the airplane’s maintenance logs showed that none of this work had been documented. Additionally, the airplane had last undergone an annual inspection over 14 years prior to the accident and the pilot had not obtained a special flight (ferry) permit for the planned flight(s). The pilot completed a successful flight and was preparing to depart for his final destination when the accident occurred. After starting the airplane’s engine and performing an engine runup, the pilot noted that a fire had started and was coming up through the floor. The pilot exited the airplane and unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire with a handheld extinguisher. Subsequently, most of the fuselage, the left wing, and a portion of the right wing were consumed by the fire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that most of the airframe’s fuel system had been consumed by the fire and continuity of the system could not be established, nor could it be determined if there were any fuel leaks in the airframe. The examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor’s drain plug was missing. There was also no safety wire attached to the carburetor bowl that would have been used to ensure the security of the drain plug. Examination of the carburetor bowl drain boss revealed no mechanical damage to the threads or signs of melted material from the drain plug. Given this information, it is likely, that during the engine runup, the drain plug came loose, allowing fuel and fuel fumes to enter the airplane's cowling. Subsequently, the combustible materials were likely ignited by the hot engine exhaust, resulting in the fire that consumed most of the airplane. Had the pilot ensured that an annual inspection was performed prior to the flight, it is likely that the unsecured drain plug would have been found and corrected.

On June 26, 2025, about 0930 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182Q, N4953N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Nahunta, Georgia. The private pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane had just undergone extensive maintenance in Sylacauga, Alabama, and the pilot planned to take the airplane to W. H. 'Bud' Barron Airport (DBN), Dublin, Georgia to complete the maintenance. After departing Thomas C. Russell Field Airport (ALX), Alexander City, Alabama, on June 24, 2025, the pilot stopped at Brantley County Airport (4J1), Nahunta, Georgia, and the airplane remained parked until the day of the accident. The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection followed by a normal start of the engine. The pilot allowed the engine to warm up and performed a magneto drop and propeller governor check. Shortly thereafter, the pilot observed fire coming up from the floor around the rudder pedals. The pilot exited the airplane, and unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the fire with a handheld fire extinguisher. The fire consumed most of the fuselage and the right wing, and the left wing was thermally damaged at the wing root. A review of the airframe logbooks revealed that the last annual inspection was performed on December 16, 2010. The last engine inspection was performed on June 6, 2022. The subsequent logbook entry on March 24, 2023, reported that the engine had been removed from N699XM due to the airplane being salvaged. A search of the NTSB accident database revealed that N699XM had been involved in an accident (CEN23LA030) on November 6, 2022. A review of the photos from the accident file revealed that the airplane had a propeller strike; there were no logbook entries indicating the engine had undergone a propeller strike inspection. While the pilot reported that the airplane had just completed significant airframe and engine maintenance, there were no logbook entries detailing what maintenance had been performed on the airframe or engine. The pilot also stated that he did not obtain a special flight (ferry) permit for the flight as he felt comfortable with the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the airframe sustained significant thermal damage; the fuselage, most of the left wing, and several feet of the right wing were consumed by fire. Due to the extensive thermal damage, only partial flight control continuity for all the primary flight controls was able to be established. Fuel system continuity was unable to be established due to the extensive thermal damage to the system. The left fuel cap remained installed in the filler port and was undamaged. The right fuel cap and filler port had separated from the rest of the fuel tank and were thermally damaged; however, the fuel cap remained secure to the filler port. Most of the fuel lines from both fuel tanks to the fuel selectorhad been completely consumed by the fire; however, several AN fittings that were consistent with fuel lines were found secured to their respective fittings. The fuel selector valve was located and was thermally damaged. Two of the three fuel lines remained secure to the fuel selector valve; the third fuel line had separated, and the fracture surface was consistent with damage from the recovery. The fuel selector position could not be determined due to the extensive thermal damage. The fuel strainer remained attached to its installation point and displayed minor thermal damage. The fuel strainer fuel lines remained secure to their respective fittings. The strainer bowl was removed and visually inspected. The bowl contained a small amount of debris and was corroded, consistent with the observed thermal damage. The fuel strainer screen remained installed and was partially deformed. The screen contained a small amount of debris; however, it was not obstructed. The engine remained attached to the airframe through the engine mounts, cables, hoses, and wires. The engine and its components sustained significant thermal damage from the fire. The engine remained intact, and there were no holes in the crankcase to indicate a catastrophic internal engine failure. All of the engine’s cylinders and accessories remained attached to the engine, and there were no signs of oil leaks. The carburetor remained attached to its installation point, and the fuel line to the carburetor inlet remained secured. It was observed that the carburetor bowl was missing the drain plug, and no safety wire was attached to the bowl. The drain plug could not be located at the time of the examination. The threads in the carburetor bowl for the drain plug were examined; they remained intact, with no signs of cross-threading or stripping. The carburetor was partially disassembled and examined. The fuel inlet screen had separated from the inlet fitting and contained debris; however, the screen was not obstructed. One of the floats had separated from the float attach bracket, the separation was consistent with the observed thermal damage. The rest of the carburetor internal components displayed varying amounts of thermal damage as well as normal operating signatures. The exhaust system remained attached to the engine and was undamaged. Examination of the exhaust system revealed no signs of exhaust leaks, cracks, or obstructions. The induction system sustained significant thermal damage and portions of the intake tubes had melted. No obstructions or signs of induction leaks were found.