| Occurrence Briefs are concise reports that detail the facts surrounding a transport safety occurrence, as received in the initial notification and any follow-up enquiries. They provide an opportunity to share safety messages in the absence of an investigation. |
What happened
On 13 July 2018, at 1119 Eastern Standard Time, the pilot of a Piper PA-28 aircraft was conducting a touch-and-go[1] at Warrnambool Airport, Victoria.
During the flight, the pilot noticed that although the engine was idling within the green arc it was running slightly rougher than normal. After completing a circuit and landing on the runway, the engine idled to a halt. The pilot subsequently tried to restart the engine and noticed that the pump sounded sluggish and had lost volume. The mixture was set to full rich at all times.
During the second attempt to restart the engine, fumes and smoke were detected emanating from the engine compartment and liquid could be seen draining onto the runway. The pilot immediately shutdown the engine, switched off the aircraft electrical system and vacated the aircraft.
A fire started in the front section of the engine compartment and spread to the aft of the aircraft. As a result of the fire, the aircraft was destroyed.
Safety message
This incident provides a reminder that priming a hot engine can result in an engine fire. Most aircraft manuals will have a checklist to follow for engine fires on start-up. It is important for pilots to memorise this procedure specific to the aircraft they are flying.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.
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