Piper navajo has engine fire in flight.

Attributes
ACN	318530
Time
Date	199510
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aid
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ind
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11671 flight time type : 839
ASRS Report	318530
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

PA31-350 piper navajo. Left engine fire, I think was caused by oil line not properly tightened. Shutting off fuel did not extinguish flame. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was about 4 mi from the airport and got the aircraft down as fast as possible. The insurance company totaled the aircraft since the engine was ruined and they were concerned that fire had weakened the wing spar. The fire was on the right side of the left engine and away from the fuel tanks. Reporter feels strongly that the oil line was loose, only finger tight, as it was lying on the bottom of the cowling. No injuries involved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER NAVAJO HAS ENG FIRE IN FLT.

Narrative: PA31-350 PIPER NAVAJO. L ENG FIRE, I THINK WAS CAUSED BY OIL LINE NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED. SHUTTING OFF FUEL DID NOT EXTINGUISH FLAME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS ABOUT 4 MI FROM THE ARPT AND GOT THE ACFT DOWN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE ACFT SINCE THE ENG WAS RUINED AND THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT FIRE HAD WEAKENED THE WING SPAR. THE FIRE WAS ON THE R SIDE OF THE L ENG AND AWAY FROM THE FUEL TANKS. RPTR FEELS STRONGLY THAT THE OIL LINE WAS LOOSE, ONLY FINGER TIGHT, AS IT WAS LYING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE COWLING. NO INJURIES INVOLVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.