Cessna 182 N4953N accident near Nahunta, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to fly an unairworthy airplane, which resulted in fire due to an unsecured carburetor bowl drain plug.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the airplane had undergone extensive maintenance on the airframe and the engine; however, review of the airplane’s maintenance logs showed that none of this work had been documented. Additionally, the airplane had last undergone an annual inspection over 14 years prior to the accident and the pilot had not obtained a special flight (ferry) permit for the planned flight(s). The pilot completed a successful flight and was preparing to depart for his final destination when the accident occurred. After starting the airplane’s engine and performing an engine runup, the pilot noted that a fire had started and was coming up through the floor. The pilot exited the airplane and unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire with a handheld extinguisher. Subsequently, most of the fuselage, the left wing, and a portion of the right wing were consumed by the fire.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that most of the airframe’s fuel system had been consumed by the fire and continuity of the system could not be established, nor could it be determined if there were any fuel leaks in the airframe. The examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor’s drain plug was missing. There was also no safety wire attached to the carburetor bowl that would have been used to ensure the security of the drain plug. Examination of the carburetor bowl drain boss revealed no mechanical damage to the threads or signs of melted material from the drain plug. Given this information, it is likely, that during the engine runup, the drain plug came loose, allowing fuel and fuel fumes to enter the airplane's cowling. Subsequently, the combustible materials were likely ignited by the hot engine exhaust, resulting in the fire that consumed most of the airplane. Had the pilot ensured that an annual inspection was performed prior to the flight, it is likely that the unsecured drain plug would have been found and corrected.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA25LA242 for the full record.