Halon 1211 Fire Extinguisher Alternatives

[Tweety]

How is your fuel shutoff/tank selector plumbed? How about the piping for your oil pressure and fuel pressure gauges?

 

[GM.]

Probably the nastiest cabin fires in light single and small twin aircraft have occurred when the skimpy pressure tube(s) on a direct reading fuel pressure instrument (if equipped) either crystallizes and cracks due to age or chafes through spraying fuel that ignites off a hot electrical component.

After placing the mixture to “Off” and establishing a glide, one may be able to put an extinguisher to good use on your kneecaps and carpet.

 

[msires]

Probably the nastiest cabin fires in light and small twin aircraft have occurred when the skimpy pressure tube(s) on a direct reading fuel pressure instrument (if equipped) either crystallizes and cracks due to age or chafes through spraying fuel that ignites off a hot electrical component.

After placing the mixture to “Off” and establishing a glide, one may be able to put an extinguisher to good use on your kneecaps and carpet.

Which was one of the factors that made me change to an electronic engine monitor where all the flammable stuff stays on the engine side of the firewall. Now if only I could figure out a way to get the primer out of the cockpit

 

[Reece]

Which was one of the factors that made me change to an electronic engine monitor where all the flammable stuff stays on the engine side of the firewall. Now if only I could figure out a way to get the primer out of the cockpit

Some years ago, I flew a club-owned Dakota (PA-28-236) out to Tulsa, OK. On the base-to-final turn the vacuum-driven AI failed with an ear-piercing shriek. With approval of the club maintenance officer I had a local FBO replace the instrument. Two days later I flew to my next stop, and everything seemed fine.

When I returned to the plane several days later, I found a sizeable pool of oil on the floor on the pilot's side. It appears that when the Tulsa FBO replaced the AI, they accidentally loosened the oil line where it attached to the oil pressure gauge. Tightening that connection inconveniently required removing the autopilot from the panel. I've been uncomfortable with having engine fluid lines in the cockpit ever since.

While I can't do anything about the fuel lines from the tanks to the fuel selector and onward, I was happy to have the rest of the fluid lines removed when I replaced the engine gauges with a JPI EDM-900. (No cockpit primer in the fuel-injected Arrow.)

 

[Lon]

While I can't do anything about the fuel lines from the tanks to the fuel selector and onward, I was happy to have the rest of the fluid lines removed when I replaced the engine gauges with a JPI EDM-900. (No cockpit primer in the fuel-injected Arrow.)

Same reason. Same action.