Not a C-170 Story

[canav8]

Okay before this hits the internet wave have a look at this.

I've heard of "STUPID"......but this must be pretty close to the top of the list!

Wadda ya think.......about 3 cans short of a six-pack?

Subj: New C-182 Destroyed
PILOTS, A LESSON FOR LIFE....... INSTRUCTORS, DRUM THIS INTO YOUR STUDENTS' HEADS

For those of you not familiar with a Cessna 182, do not be misled by the photos. The 182 is a high wing aircraft

This 182 was brand new, glass cockpit and all, with a total of only 80 hours on it. Its pilot was flying to a camp carrying a lawn mower (with gas in it) in the back seat. He also had a 12v to 110v inverter plugged in with the inverter sitting on the floor in the back, running his laptop computer.

He landed on the grass runway and smelled gas fumes during rollout.

He stopped turned the airplane around to back-taxi and reached back to feel the lawn mower and stop the fuel leak before it messed up the carpet any more than it already had, when POOF! the entire back seat area ignited.

He pulled the mixture out, jumped out, called 911, and began running to the line shack in hopes of finding a fire extinguisher (he had removed his from the aircraft as he did not think his plane would ever catch fire and what is more, mounted between the front seats it was a nuisance when he reached down there every time to disengage his seat rail lock).

He got half way to the line shack and turned around to see the wings fold down to the ground.

Fire trucks arrived 12-15 minutes later and put out the fire.

Best guess is that the inverter somehow sparked and ignited the gas fumes.

He admitted if this had happened in the air there would not have been enough time to land and escape before the smoke and flames overpowered him or the airplane disintegrated in mid-air.

The pilot was known to be good. He was obviously not a very good judge of what to carry in the back of an airplane, or, anything can go wrong, or the conviction that has killed many a pilot: "It can't happen to me".

Morals to the story: Never carry any fuel on board other than what is in the airplane's tanks.

Always have your fire extinguisher handy on board; you never know when you will need it.

[canav8]

here is the last pic

[Brad Brady]

Was that 140 november,echo? that NTSB story should be a goood read....Brad

[GAHorn]

One for one.

[jrenwick]

Here's the NTSB report:

The pilot placed a gasoline-powered "weed whip" on the rear passenger seats of the airplane for a personal flight. The pilot smelled a "strong" smell of gasoline as the airplane touched down for landing at the destination airport. During the after-landing taxi, the engine end of the weed whip fell behind the two front seats. The pilot stated that he reached back and placed the weed whip back onto the seats and "something caused it to ignite." The pilot stated that he was charging his cell phone where the weed whip was located. The pilot stated that the smoke was so bad that he pulled the mixture control to idle cutoff and exited the airplane. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was then consumed by fire.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot to carry a hazardous material aboard an airplane that resulted in a fire during an after-landing taxi.

[voorheesh]

This is not an unusual story except that it happened in an expensive airplane. Gasoline spills often destroy homes or automobiles across this country due to this kind of carelessness. What makes me wonder is how quickly we call someone an idiot or 3 short of a six pack for doing something stupid. Like none of us have ever done anything like that and got away with it. Thank god he wasn't injured.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Voorheesh, your message is right on. Sounds ridiculous to carry a dirty lawn mower in the back of a plush very expensive fully decked out 182. Even if it was only a weed whacker. I would have reserved that duty to my more utilitarian 170.

I hope never (again) to be caught doing something so foolish.

[GAHorn]

Would the FSDO's of the lower-48 have tolerated carrying it as an external load? (such as the FSDO's in AK would have considered prudent?)

NOT a criticism as this might first appear... but a suggestion that FAA play by the same rules everywhere for everyone... and a question as to how we might implement that change.

[jrenwick]

Was it necessary to carry the thing with fuel in it? How hard is it to empty the tank of a weedwhacker and leave the gas behind?

OK, I'll confess to something that maybe I shouldn't be doing. I carry a quart of TCP in a steel can (you can buy it in those again), tucked into the pocket on the back of my rear seat (custom upholstery option), so that it stays upright and won't get loose in the back. I resisted carrying TCP for a long time because of the flammability issue, but because I often fill up away from home, that meant basically not using the additive. I've had enough problems with spark plug fouling and exhaust valves going bad that I've become a believer in using it with every fill-up. There's a less-flammable substitute for TCP that is available, but it isn't approved for other than experimental aircraft. I've thought about mounting a bracket for the TCP can on my firewall, but haven't gone any farther than thinking about it.

Are there any good solutions out there?

[W.J.Langholz]

[quote="jrenwick"]

OK, I'll confess to something that maybe I shouldn't be doing.

Boy John ....you got a set of kanasters this morning.....can't wait to see the responses


W.

[jrenwick]

Boy John ....you got a set of kanasters this morning.....can't wait to see the responses

Well, I know I ain't the only one!

[Harold Holiman]

When we used to carry a folding minibike in our plane, I would drain the fuel tank which was removable and put the tank inside a sealed plastic bag to prevent fumes. The folded minibike sat on plywood cover I made which protected the rear seat and the minibike was securred with the seat belts. When we would get to destination we would assemble the mini-bike and fill the fuel tank with aviation fuel from the wing sump. Worked good and there was no fire hazzard in the cabin.

Harold

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

I don't fault anyone for calling this guy an idiot or 3 cans short of a six pack. It is a natural reaction. I say what the heck is he doing with a weed whacker in a $300K airplane. Who would fly such a plane into an camping area that needed a weed whacker? Of course perhaps he showed good judgement using a disposable plane rather than a classic 170.

The fact the plane burnt to the ground because of the fumes from the weed whacker ignited by an inverter, well, I'm hopefully going to learn from his misfortune.

[1SeventyZ]

I mostly feel bad for that nice grass strip.

[dacker]

Maybe its a result of having my brains scrambled by helicopter rotors, but I like playing "what-if's". I have often wondered what would be the best course of action if I ever had a fuel leak in the cabin, say from a leaking fuel line (complete with heavy fumes). My first reaction is to secure electrical equipment (assuming VFR), but on second thought I might not touch anything for fear of creating a spark by throwing a switch. I could throw the master off and chances are there wouldn't be a spark, or I could just not touch anything and land pronto, securing everything once out of the airplane. My vote is to secure the master. Something to think about.
David