REFLECTOR: Ouch

nmflyer1 at aol.com nmflyer1 at aol.com
Mon Jul 30 00:15:52 CDT 2012


I like the idea of a fire suppression system as well. In talking with the pilot, he didn't even know he had a fire until he landed. The engine quit and the flames started just as he turned off the end of the runway. All he knew is that he smelled some "hot oil", then started down for the airport. A witness watching the landing said there was not even any smoke until the end of the runway, then a second or two later.. fire. 


I was there talking with the FAA as they did the inspection of the wreckage. Only thing they found was some questionable fittings that were loose. They acknowledged that the looseness could have come from the heat of the fire... or been there prior. Fittings right next to the loose ones were tight... so that leads to some doubts on the tightness of the oil fittings next to the turbo. 





Kurt




-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Magee <edjonesbrady at gmail.com>
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Sun, Jul 29, 2012 8:56 pm
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Ouch


Hi Alex,
You are a man after my own heart. There is little worse for a pilot than an in-flight fire. They're quite rare, but might ruin a whole day. We used Halon extensively in the Navy, unbelievably effective. I thought Halon fire suppressant been outlawed but just checked and found them still available. I may follow your lead and have a Halon bottle trained on my engine compartment with heat sensors. I'll have to study this: the ram air for the cylinders does present a problem with any fire-suppressant flooding technique for an aircraft engine compartment. Ideally the ram air feeds would also need Halon nozzles, as well as the 'static' air in the engine compartment. Don't know if the concentration in the ram-air would be sufficient to quench.  I would think nozzles aimed at the FI distributor block and other usual suspects for an engine compartment fire would be appropriate. I would be interested in seeing your nozzle outlay.
Yes, this one ended well for the pilot, not so much his bird.
Mark Magee
N34XL


On Sun, Jul 29, 2012 at 7:03 PM, Alex Balic <velocity_pilot at verizon.net> wrote:


I am a little bit paranoid about something like that happening, so I have the heat sensors, and a 3 pound halon bottle plumbed to the engine compartment-might even add camera for the inside of the compartment - at least the pilot got out OK
 

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of nmflyer1 at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2012 2:52 PM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: REFLECTOR: Ouch

 

Back from OSH last night. This morning had to go help clean up this sad situation. Cozy Mk III with a torbo rotary engine. Smelled oil and headed back on flt #6. Unfortunately, as he was turning off the runway, things gor worse. At least he is fine.  

 

Kurt   




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