Following a full-stop landing at an airport in Houston, the Cirrus SR22 pilot taxied the airplane from the runway toward an FBO and then reported to the FBO that the brakes were hot before getting to his parking spot.
Several FBO personnel reported to the control tower operator that the airplane appeared to be on fire.
After the pilot exited the airplane, the fire subsequently consumed portions of the fuselage and cockpit.
Data extracted from the airplane revealed that it taxied about 3.7 miles with the engine operating between 1,200 and 1,600 rpm.
The airplane’s pilot operating handbook warns that, if the 1,000 rpm taxi power limit and proper braking techniques are not used, the brake system may overheat, which could result in a brake fire.
It is likely that the pilot’s operation of the engine at a higher-than-recommended rpm level during a long taxi resulted in the brake system overheating and a subsequent fire.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to use the proper taxi procedure, which resulted in a brake system fire.
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA408
This July 2013 accident report is are provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Maybe try to land further down the runway so you don’t have 3.+ miles to taxi back. Or, as stated before just taxi slower speed back to the apron. I have never flown nor taxied a swivel nose aircraft, but I have a
lot of time in tail wheel aircraft where you needed brakes but still use them cautiously.
Cross winds are always a challenge in light planes.
Not knowing how to operate one’s plane seems to be a reoccurring theme! The POH is your friend.
The cause of this mishap was plainly the pilot’s lack of a brain which begs the questions: Did he buy his license? Did he ever crack the POH and actually read it particularly the part about the danger of overheating the brakes?
3.7 miles is a very long taxi for any small aircraft in 95 dF, nearly calm wind conditions. I have a little Cirrus time and was initially very surprised that all directional control during taxi is by differential braking… the nose wheel is castoring, i.e. not steerable. Under those conditions I wonder what the tire temperatures were.
Money doesn’t necessarily make a person smart. Having a lot of money with no common sense can and will get you hurt. Seems the Cirrus has replaced the ‘Fork Tail Doctor Killer’.
What a genius. Another brilliant Cirrus pilot with more money than training. I bet he did that fancy Cirrus training structure instead of actually learning how to fly an airplane. My instructor has always been a stickler on taxiing, and I’m a better pilot for it. “Would you drive your car pressing he gas and the brakes?!” he would ask. “Then why would you do it in an airplane?”
That’s a long way to taxi.
For those unfamiliar with the SR22, steering is done by gentle braking (unlike the rudder pedal format in Cessna’s, etc.) on the brake pedals, and they are prone to overheating. They’ll have a yellow warning light that pops up if the brakes are overheating, and a red one if it gets really bad.
The only solution is to just stop and shut down and let everything cool off. This guy was too fast and obviously ignored the warning indicators. Expensive lesson learned. Too bad….
Iam a student pilot and read NTSB reports a lot… I am always amazed at how many accidents/incidence are completely preventable… the vast majority of them I would say from what I have seen.