REFLECTOR: Engine fire!! (was Aileron Cables(Fire-sleeving))

[Sid Knox]

A few years ago I had an engine fire during take-off/climbout.  My first 
indication was a sudden rough-running engine because (later determined) 
ignition wires insulation burning and allowing the conductors to short 
together and to case ground. At this point, I was not especially alarmed and 
just turned back and asked for an immediate "cleared to land".  During the 
turn-back and approach, the ailerons began to seize and that really started 
the alarm bells in my head as I knew from a previous experience with a 
broken exhaust that I now had a fire!  You will definitely hear the exhaust 
note change when a pipe breaks and this was not the case here.  Landing was 
routine (other than steering with rudders since the ailerons were 
immovable), and by the time I stopped, the fire had extinguished itself.   I 
was at a far-from-home airport and thanks to some local pilots/owners and a 
great local airplane salvage yard, I was able to find replacement parts 
(except for the aileron cable that had to come from Velocity) and in a few 
days was again on my way home.
The 100%-for-sure cause of the fire was not known but it was generally 
agreed (by several of the persons helping me with repairs) that it was 
gasoline-fed.  Details of the clues and of the damage to the wing roots are 
too convoluted to detail here.  Suffice it to say that since repairs, I have 
no fear of it recurring.
My wife was in the back seat (she usually goes to sleep when the wheels come 
up and wakes when I land) and when someone later asked her if she was 
frightened, she replied "No, I knew he could handle it" but while turning 
back, I did not tell her about a fire... she thought it was simply a "minor 
mechanical" problem.

I have some thoughts about fire detection/suppression but this message is 
becoming quite long enough.

Sid Knox
Oklahoma

Velocity  173 RG  N199RS
Starduster  N666SK
KR2         N24TC
W7QJQ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hiroo Umeno" <humeno at microsoft.com>
To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Aileron Cables(Fire-sleeving)


This reminds me of a question I had about engine fire...

What are the indication that our engine is on fire?  On a Cessna, it is 
obvious since you are sitting right behind a burning engine with flames 
shooting out from below cowling but on our plane, how would we know we are 
trailing flames and black smoke behind us?

(... whole bunch of stuff snipped...) 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Burn Damage.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 126208 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20070411/3bf2f538/attachment-0001.jpg