A piper PA32 experienced a right main landing gear fire prior to takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	363643
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 730 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	363643
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I picked up 4 passenger from a flight coming into mem saturday night. I got a VFR clearance out of mem back to glh. I began to taxi from the FBO ramp where I had been parked for 1 hour. I was cleared to taxi to runway 36C without stopping on taxiway C. I used rudder only with no braking at 1000 RPM to taxi. The VFR GPS on board indicated approximately 10 KTS of ground speed. The length of runway 36C is 8400 ft. I estimated that I taxied 8500 ft before I brought the airplane to a stop just short of runway 36C to do the engine runup and checklist. While I was doing the runup I noticed the flames were coming out from under the right wing. I announced that we had a fire on board, that I was shutting the engine down, and that the passenger should evacuate/evacuation the airplane immediately. I called mem tower and reported 'mem tower, I have a fire on board the aircraft. We are evacing the airplane.' I then proceeded to shut the electrical system off and evacuate/evacuation myself. I had the passenger stand clear of the cherokee 6 on the west side of taxiway C. We waited approximately 2 1/2 mins for the fire trucks to arrive. The firemen extinguished the fire, and the aircraft was then towed back to the FBO hangar. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the fire was located on the right main landing gear. The origin of the fire is still under investigation but it is believed to have started in the right brake. The fire burned through the lower wing above the right main gear and caused structural damage to the wing. The airplane had just completed its annual check, but had previous history of brake problems. The reporter stated the airplane's first flight after the annual check was to mem and the brakes operated normally on landing. The reporter was asked if during the previous preflight check at glh and preflight check at mem if any hydraulic leak or seeps were noted. The reporter stated none were noted and the gear was dry. The FAA has the incident under investigation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA32 EXPERIENCED A R MAIN LNDG GEAR FIRE PRIOR TO TKOF.

Narrative: I PICKED UP 4 PAX FROM A FLT COMING INTO MEM SATURDAY NIGHT. I GOT A VFR CLRNC OUT OF MEM BACK TO GLH. I BEGAN TO TAXI FROM THE FBO RAMP WHERE I HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 1 HR. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 36C WITHOUT STOPPING ON TXWY C. I USED RUDDER ONLY WITH NO BRAKING AT 1000 RPM TO TAXI. THE VFR GPS ON BOARD INDICATED APPROX 10 KTS OF GND SPD. THE LENGTH OF RWY 36C IS 8400 FT. I ESTIMATED THAT I TAXIED 8500 FT BEFORE I BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A STOP JUST SHORT OF RWY 36C TO DO THE ENG RUNUP AND CHKLIST. WHILE I WAS DOING THE RUNUP I NOTICED THE FLAMES WERE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE R WING. I ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAD A FIRE ON BOARD, THAT I WAS SHUTTING THE ENG DOWN, AND THAT THE PAX SHOULD EVAC THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY. I CALLED MEM TWR AND RPTED 'MEM TWR, I HAVE A FIRE ON BOARD THE ACFT. WE ARE EVACING THE AIRPLANE.' I THEN PROCEEDED TO SHUT THE ELECTRICAL SYS OFF AND EVAC MYSELF. I HAD THE PAX STAND CLR OF THE CHEROKEE 6 ON THE W SIDE OF TXWY C. WE WAITED APPROX 2 1/2 MINS FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS TO ARRIVE. THE FIREMEN EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND THE ACFT WAS THEN TOWED BACK TO THE FBO HANGAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FIRE WAS LOCATED ON THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION BUT IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE R BRAKE. THE FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE LOWER WING ABOVE THE R MAIN GEAR AND CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE WING. THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST COMPLETED ITS ANNUAL CHK, BUT HAD PREVIOUS HISTORY OF BRAKE PROBS. THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE'S FIRST FLT AFTER THE ANNUAL CHK WAS TO MEM AND THE BRAKES OPERATED NORMALLY ON LNDG. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF DURING THE PREVIOUS PREFLT CHK AT GLH AND PREFLT CHK AT MEM IF ANY HYD LEAK OR SEEPS WERE NOTED. THE RPTR STATED NONE WERE NOTED AND THE GEAR WAS DRY. THE FAA HAS THE INCIDENT UNDER INVESTIGATION.

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.