ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 297495
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| Date: | Thursday 21 March 2002 |
| Time: | 11:26 LT |
| Type: |  Republic P-47N-20-RE |
| Owner/operator: | American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum Inc. |
| Registration: | N47TB |
| MSN: | 44-89136 |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney R2800/73 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Albuquerque, New Mexico -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Albuquerque International Airport, NM (ABQ/KABQ) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the pilot, who was an FAA certified airframe and power plant mechanic, on the morning the accident, he completed re-installing the engine following its overhaul by another company. He made several engine run and leak checks, and all parameters were within limits and no leaks were noted. He then boarded the airplane for a 15 minute maintenance test flight. The flight taxied to the runway, and the pilot performed a pre-takeoff engine run-up, noted no anomalies and departed. During the initial takeoff climb, just as the pilot reached for the landing gear lever, the cockpit filled with black smoke, and the engine began to lose power. The tower controller then reported to the pilot that the airplane was on fire. The pilot executed a forced landing back to the runway, which had some length remaining. The airplane impacted the ground, and an intense fire erupted (the pilot observed a flash fire through the cockpit). The airplane slid 1,000 feet and came to rest upright. Examination of the airplane revealed that the exhaust interconnect tube to the exhaust collector for the #10 cylinder was protruding through the inlet duct of the lower cheek cowl, and was disconnected from the cylinder. The area around the opening exhibited severe heat distress, consistent with a fire. Oil supply lines and the main fuel supply line were melted through and compromised. The oil and fuel line hoses were made of rubber and were not outfitted with fire shields. No other pertinent anomalies were discovered with the #10 cylinder or the remainder of the engine.
Probable Cause: the pilot/mechanic's failure to properly re-install the engine's #10 cylinder exhaust interconnect tube, which resulted in an in-flight fire and forced landing. Contributing factors were the burned fuel and oil supply lines, which were not fire shielded.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW02LA098
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Oct-2022 19:19 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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