Event ERA24LA302

Factual narrative

On July 4, 2024, about 0400 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T airplane, N184VA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Myerstown, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he was preparing to take off on runway 1 at Deck Airport (9D4), Myerstown, Pennsylvania, with a destination of Wayne County Airport (EKQ), Monticello, Kentucky, when the accident occurred. The preflight inspection and ground operations were uneventful. During the takeoff roll, at about 50-60 knots, the pilot noticed a flashing exhaust gas temperature indication and elected to abort the takeoff. He pulled off onto the turnaround area at the north end of the runway to troubleshoot the problem. A red “X” then appeared over the oil pressure display and one of the passengers noticed flames emanating from the right side of the engine cowling. The pilot shut down the engine, exited the airplane with the passengers, and attempted to extinguish the flames with a fire bottle and blankets. The local fire department was called to assist in extinguishing the fire. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. He reported that there was substantial fire and heat damage to the forward fuselage and engine. A subsequent examination of the wreckage was performed by FAA inspectors. A majority of the fire and heat damage appeared to be concentrated near cylinder Nos. 3 and 5. Further examination revealed that the B-nut on the stainless steel fuel injector line between the No. 5 cylinder and the right fuel injector manifold was loose, and was less than finger-tight. The turbocharger was located aft of this loose B-nut. No other fuel system fittings were found to be loose. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that an annual inspection of the airframe and engine was completed on July 2, 2024, two days before the accident. The engine logbook entry stated that that a fuel system pressure check was performed during the inspection. The mechanic who performed the annual inspection reported that the owner asked to have the fuel injectors cleaned due to an intermittent rough idle. The injector lines were removed at the injector, and the injectors were removed and cleaned. The injectors were reinstalled in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions. The injector lines were also inspected during the cleaning process. The pilot reported that preflight and ground operations were normal. During the takeoff roll, he noticed a flashing exhaust gas temperature indication and elected to abort the takeoff. He pulled off onto a turnaround to troubleshoot the problem. A red “X” then appeared over the oil pressure display and one of the passengers noticed flames emanating from the right side of the engine cowling. The pilot shut down the engine, exited the airplane with the passengers, and attempted to extinguish the flames with a fire bottle and blankets. Postaccident examination of the wreckage determined that there was substantial fire and heat damage to the engine and forward fuselage. Further examination of the engine area revealed concentrated damage near cylinder Nos. 3 and 5. The B-nut on the stainless-steel fuel injector line between the No. 5 cylinder and the right fuel injector manifold was loose, and was less than finger-tight. The turbocharger was located aft of this loose B-nut. No other fuel system fittings were found to be loose. An annual inspection was completed on the airframe and engine two days before the accident, including maintenance that required removing and reinstalling the fuel injector lines. It is likely that the No. 5 cylinder B-nut was not securely tightened when reinstalled, allowing it to loosen and spray fuel on the turbocharger and exhaust system, resulting in an engine fire. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel distribution-Incorrect service/maintenance
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Maintenance-Scheduled/routine maintenance-Maintenance personnel