Narrative:

This summer was a hot one in more ways than one. On takeoff in hays, ks, on jul/xx/96, I warmed up the 0-200 varieze engine at 2000 RPM, and pointed its nose down the runway. The wife called out that the engine didn't sound right. I agreed and was checking the mixture, carburetor heat, etc. When no enlightenment hit me, I pulled the power and braked. At some point looking around, I saw flames emanating from the cowling and was out of there, hollering at the wife to 'get out, get out, get out' as I went for our 2 fire extinguishers. Giving her one, we attacked the flames. Just then, a patrolman pulled up and with 1 good squirt from his bigger unit, the fire was put out. This appears to be an oil fire, no gas was involved. I believe it started during runup with the right exhaust getting too hot. Both cowlings were damaged beyond repair as well as wires to the wing leveler, some styrofoam at the trailing edge of the inboard wing and edge of the aileron melted. On the burned portions of the cowling, the fiberglass was scorched but intact but all epoxy was burned out. When we left home 3 weeks earlier, we had stopped in battle mountain, nv, for gas and noticed the left side leaking oil. We elected to fly to ogden and replaced the real gaskets with regular gaskets. The right side was not leaking. Coming back from kansas city, we had stopped in hays to see why our dynamo quit. Taking off our cowling, top and bottom, we fixed the broken wire that was the problem, reinstalled the cowling and were ready to leave the next morning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL VZ10 EXPERIENCED AN ENG FIRE ALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY AN OIL LEAK. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON TKOF ROLL AND THE PLT ABORTED, EXITED THE ACFT AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.

Narrative: THIS SUMMER WAS A HOT ONE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. ON TKOF IN HAYS, KS, ON JUL/XX/96, I WARMED UP THE 0-200 VARIEZE ENG AT 2000 RPM, AND POINTED ITS NOSE DOWN THE RWY. THE WIFE CALLED OUT THAT THE ENG DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT. I AGREED AND WAS CHKING THE MIXTURE, CARB HEAT, ETC. WHEN NO ENLIGHTENMENT HIT ME, I PULLED THE PWR AND BRAKED. AT SOME POINT LOOKING AROUND, I SAW FLAMES EMANATING FROM THE COWLING AND WAS OUT OF THERE, HOLLERING AT THE WIFE TO 'GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT' AS I WENT FOR OUR 2 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. GIVING HER ONE, WE ATTACKED THE FLAMES. JUST THEN, A PATROLMAN PULLED UP AND WITH 1 GOOD SQUIRT FROM HIS BIGGER UNIT, THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN OIL FIRE, NO GAS WAS INVOLVED. I BELIEVE IT STARTED DURING RUNUP WITH THE R EXHAUST GETTING TOO HOT. BOTH COWLINGS WERE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AS WELL AS WIRES TO THE WING LEVELER, SOME STYROFOAM AT THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE INBOARD WING AND EDGE OF THE AILERON MELTED. ON THE BURNED PORTIONS OF THE COWLING, THE FIBERGLASS WAS SCORCHED BUT INTACT BUT ALL EPOXY WAS BURNED OUT. WHEN WE LEFT HOME 3 WKS EARLIER, WE HAD STOPPED IN BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NV, FOR GAS AND NOTICED THE L SIDE LEAKING OIL. WE ELECTED TO FLY TO OGDEN AND REPLACED THE REAL GASKETS WITH REGULAR GASKETS. THE R SIDE WAS NOT LEAKING. COMING BACK FROM KANSAS CITY, WE HAD STOPPED IN HAYS TO SEE WHY OUR DYNAMO QUIT. TAKING OFF OUR COWLING, TOP AND BOTTOM, WE FIXED THE BROKEN WIRE THAT WAS THE PROB, REINSTALLED THE COWLING AND WERE READY TO LEAVE THE NEXT MORNING.

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.