Piper PA 28-181 N30541 incident near South Naknek, Alaska

Probable cause

A fire in the airplane’s engine compartment that initiated for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive fire damage.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he was taxiing the airplane for departure when he and his passengers smelled smoke in the cabin. He shut the engine down, and he and the passengers then evacuated the airplane. After escorting the passengers to a safe location, he saw smoke coming from the engine cowling area and attempted to put out any fire with a fire extinguisher; however, his attempt to put out the fire was unsuccessful, and the fire continued to burn a majority of the fuselage. Due to extensive fire damage, the initiation source of the fire could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC14IA028 for the full record.