Read the NTSB report: http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20140818X83335&key=1
View the flight plan, flight path: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N292LC
[EDIT: After reviewing this with my original source, I've made some edits to this post and added corrections and clarifications.]
Two of our friends were out for a jaunt in their C-182 a few weeks ago. Hubby has flown with both of them, giving one a BFR and primary training for the other one. The pilot in this flight is one of those by-the-book kind of guys who keeps his airplane maintained superbly and keeps his skills honed. You know the kind, he files IFR for a 1/2 hour flight when it is 'severe clear' to fly over a stretch of water. He has fuel pressure and fuel flow instruments and he monitors them.
As they leveled off after takeoff, the pilot noted that his fuel flow had reached 50 gph, which is considerably more than a C-182 ought to burn, and fuel pressure was zero. He figured he was having some sort of instrument problem and decided to abort the flight. Turning back, he informed Departure that he was returning to Farmingdale. Both men started to smell burning insulation and the pilot radioed that they were probably having an electrical fire.
Now, the passenger, as mentioned earlier, was previously one of Hubby's primary students. He is also a volunteer fireman and EMT. And, although he has survived cancertwice, he never really knew how he would react in a situation where the immediate outcome would probably be death. Put to the test, he took an instant to think, "This is how I'm going to die." Then just focused moment by moment on staying alive as long as possible and keeping the number of other people killed to a minimum.
During training flights, when the ritual emergency procedures were stated, he would always say to Hubby, "In case of fire, you fly the plane and I'll fight the fire." That certainly made sense to them both.But in this case, the fire extinguisher was in the back and unreachable.
Because it was an electrical fire, they turned off the master electrical switch after getting clearance to land on any runway. Both men were cooperating in discussing all the possibilities and the actions to take. Whatever the pilot did, the passenger was watching and double-checking. He saw flames playing behind the rudder pedals on the pilot side. The pilot continued to fly as his feet threatened to cook. They discussed whether to open the vents or the windows as the cabin began to fill with smoke and then decided to leave them shut. In retrospect, that was the right decision.
The decision was made to stay high and descend only after the field was made. They decided to leave the fuel flowing because the engine seemed to be operating normally and because they were over a highly dense population with no place to land except the airport. It turns out that this was also a good decision.
Unheard in the cockpit, where the radios were turned off, the tower radioed that the aircraft was in flames and was cleared to land. At the very last minute, they turned the master back on, hoped for the best, and dropped the landing gear. It worked. Spotting fire engines waiting at the first turn-off, they landed, turned, stopped, jumped out, and ran.
They were lightly singed. The plane was engulfed in flames. Two waiting fire trucks emptied all their foam and a third, directing all of their foam at the engine, nearly ran dry.
There is a FSDO on the field, so FAA officials were all over the accident quickly. They were delighted. So often the result of such a fire is fatal. In this case, both passengers were unhurt and the airplane, although totaled, is in one piece. They will be learning a lot about an in-flight fire from the wreckage.
View the flight plan, flight path: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N292LC
[EDIT: After reviewing this with my original source, I've made some edits to this post and added corrections and clarifications.]
Two of our friends were out for a jaunt in their C-182 a few weeks ago. Hubby has flown with both of them, giving one a BFR and primary training for the other one. The pilot in this flight is one of those by-the-book kind of guys who keeps his airplane maintained superbly and keeps his skills honed. You know the kind, he files IFR for a 1/2 hour flight when it is 'severe clear' to fly over a stretch of water. He has fuel pressure and fuel flow instruments and he monitors them.
As they leveled off after takeoff, the pilot noted that his fuel flow had reached 50 gph, which is considerably more than a C-182 ought to burn, and fuel pressure was zero. He figured he was having some sort of instrument problem and decided to abort the flight. Turning back, he informed Departure that he was returning to Farmingdale. Both men started to smell burning insulation and the pilot radioed that they were probably having an electrical fire.
Now, the passenger, as mentioned earlier, was previously one of Hubby's primary students. He is also a volunteer fireman and EMT. And, although he has survived cancer
During training flights, when the ritual emergency procedures were stated, he would always say to Hubby, "In case of fire, you fly the plane and I'll fight the fire." That certainly made sense to them both.
Because it was an electrical fire, they turned off the master electrical switch after getting clearance to land on any runway. Both men were cooperating in discussing all the possibilities and the actions to take. Whatever the pilot did, the passenger was watching and double-checking. He saw flames playing behind the rudder pedals on the pilot side. The pilot continued to fly as his feet threatened to cook. They discussed whether to open the vents or the windows as the cabin began to fill with smoke and then decided to leave them shut. In retrospect, that was the right decision.
The decision was made to stay high and descend only after the field was made. They decided to leave the fuel flowing because the engine seemed to be operating normally and because they were over a highly dense population with no place to land except the airport. It turns out that this was also a good decision.
Unheard in the cockpit, where the radios were turned off, the tower radioed that the aircraft was in flames and was cleared to land. At the very last minute, they turned the master back on, hoped for the best, and dropped the landing gear. It worked. Spotting fire engines waiting at the first turn-off, they landed, turned, stopped, jumped out, and ran.
They were lightly singed. The plane was engulfed in flames. Two waiting fire trucks emptied all their foam and a third, directing all of their foam at the engine, nearly ran dry.
There is a FSDO on the field, so FAA officials were all over the accident quickly. They were delighted. So often the result of such a fire is fatal. In this case, both passengers were unhurt and the airplane, although totaled, is in one piece. They will be learning a lot about an in-flight fire from the wreckage.
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