# NTSB WPR23LA176: AkroTech Giles G-202, Santa Barbara, CA, May 2, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: May 2, 2023, 11:33 local (18:33 UTC) - Place: Santa Barbara, CA - Coordinates: 34.426191, -119.84149 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4262&lon=-119.8415&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Van Nuys FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 107309 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR23LA176 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/107309/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=107309 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA176 ## Probable cause A fire that resulted from venting fuel coming into contact with hot exhaust surfaces or exhaust gases. Contributing to the fire was the design and location of the main tank fuel vent. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fuel system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Design (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 181 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot of the experimental airplane reported that after a normal landing, during rollout the local air traffic controller advised him that they saw flames or smoke under the fuselage. After coming to a stop, the pilot egressed and dispensed a handheld fire extinguisher, successfully extinguishing a fire that had developed in the area of the front seat. The pilot stated he then saw liquid venting from the main tank vent that was igniting on the ground. Because his fire extinguisher was emptied, he pushed the airplane away from the fire, and by the time emergency response personnel arrived it had extinguished itself. The fuselage sustained substantial damage from the fire. According to the pilot, the fuel system consisted of two wing tanks and a main center tank in the fuselage. When a wing tank is selected for fuel delivery a distributor delivers fuel under constant pressure to the engine and returns excess to the main tank. The pilot stated that he typically switches fuel tanks during flight to manage the level in the main tank, and that landings, and takeoffs are typically performed with the main tank selected and partially full. However, for the accident flight, weather conditions caused an unplanned diversion, and he had to land the airplane with a full main tank. Due to the fuel configuration at the time of the landing, the main tank fuel quantity level was above the vent inlet line and combined with the landing flare attitude, the fuel began to vent. The vent line was located near the engine exhaust stack, and it is likely that high temperature exhaust gasses ignited misted or vaporized fuel as it exited the vent line. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and the accident could have been avoided if the fuel vent was extended to vent into the relative wind at all speeds. ## Aircraft - Registration: C-GXGS (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: AkroTech Aviation Giles G-202 - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 61 - Year built: 2003 - Airframe hours: 1091 - Engines: Aerosport Power IO-360-EXP 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: MKT Aerobatics LTD - Registered owner: MKT Aerobatics LTD - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, May 10, 2022, 81 hours before - Departed: SMX, Santa Maria, CA - Destination: INW, Winslow, AZ - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: KSBA, Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, runway 25, 6,052 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Handheld GPS, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 9, 2022; seat: rear; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 7,342 total, 279 in this make and model, 2,118 as pilot in command, 145 in the last 90 days, 60 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 5 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: KSBA - METAR: KSBA 021853Z 22005KT 9SM -RA SCT015 OVC050 13/09 A2993 RMK AO2 RAB38 SLP136 P0000 T01330089 $ ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=107309. 3.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15491349&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120.1%20CGXGS_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 426 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15491475&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%201-Rel.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.