OT: Sad day in aviation: Collings B17 has crashed

[Ringo]

The initial eyewitness interview was with a man who watched it take off. He said that as it gained altitude black smoke and then flames came from the inboard engine on the right side of the plane.

What causes an engine fire like that?

Dan

jet fuel trying to run in a gas engine???

[RB211]

An engine seizing would be an issue, but again, it's a warbird- it's designed to be able to fly with one or more engines out. The prop should be able to be "feathered" so it doesn't provide excess drag, but even that's mainly an issue of fuel efficiency- that is, how far the plane can fly on a given fuel load. Even if the engine stalled completely, and the prop could not be feathered, the aircraft should still have been controllable.

Again, no expert, but I have read a little.

Doc.

Depends on the airplane, props windmilling, or seized and not feathered can be a significant source of drag. A friend of mine that flew Saab 340's said that it would bring his airplane down if he couldn't feather. 12,000 lbs of drag on one wing.

[Doc Nickel]

An engine seizing would be an issue, but again, it's a warbird- it's designed to be able to fly with one or more engines out. The prop should be able to be "feathered" so it doesn't provide excess drag, but even that's mainly an issue of fuel efficiency- that is, how far the plane can fly on a given fuel load. Even if the engine stalled completely, and the prop could not be feathered, the aircraft should still have been controllable.

Again, no expert, but I have read a little.

Doc.

[Doc Nickel]

It's a warbird. It has multiple separate and redundant systems specifically to let it keep going after battle damage.

I believe- again, not aeronautical expert- that the only thing "common" between the two engines on a given wing is the fuel tank. And even then, I wouldn't be surprised if each wing doesn't have two separate fuel cells.

I'm pretty sure there's multiple connections and pumps- including last ditch manual pumps- so that multiple tanks can be connected/transferred, mainly for keeping the aircraft in trim.

This was a "flightseeing" tour, right? What's the chances somebody's phone or digital camera survived? At least enough to salvage the data.

Doc.

[PStechPaul]

Black smoke sounds like it may have thrown a rod through a piston and it was burning oil. Could the engines have lost lubrication and started to seize? Is there a common oil system that could have failed?

[RB211]

The initial eyewitness interview was with a man who watched it take off. He said that as it gained altitude black smoke and then flames came from the inboard engine on the right side of the plane.

What causes an engine fire like that?

Dan

Exhaust collector ring burning out?

[danlb]

The initial eyewitness interview was with a man who watched it take off. He said that as it gained altitude black smoke and then flames came from the inboard engine on the right side of the plane.

What causes an engine fire like that?

Dan

[RB211]

I'm changing my hypothesis to unknown. Only way for this to happen is gradual loss of power on all engines. Water in the fuel?
I will edit my previous posts, this is why you don't speculate like I did.

[Ringo]

ahh. the picture i saw the only part recognizable was the tail.

[J Tiers]

Say what??
the fuel in remaining tanks is 100LL? really?
where is the evidence? the whole aircraft burned up, because the fuel itself was the fire.
whether it was Jetfuel, or 100LL, it all got consumed in the fire.
there is no fuel sample to take post accident

That seems not to be true. Some is not burned up. A big section of one wing is not burned, as per pic here:

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-br-viz-bradley-world-war-ii-plane-crash-stories-20191006-uh22wuhmwzfudla7jk5fhhfc2a-story.html

And you can apparently tell the difference very easily, with a paper towel. Soak up some. Let it evaporate. If there is an oily residue, there is some JetA in it. There should not be ANY JetA in 100 octane.

[A.K. Boomer]

I believe they can tell the difference --- two totally different fuels and burn rates and residues...

[Ringo]

The fuel in the remaining tanks was 100 octane, just what it was supposed to be..... preliminary info from the investigation via Juan Browne per above link.

Each engine has dual mags, and plugs, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_R-1820_Cyclone

Say what??
the fuel in remaining tanks is 100LL? really?
where is the evidence? the whole aircraft burned up, because the fuel itself was the fire.
whether it was Jetfuel, or 100LL, it all got consumed in the fire.
there is no fuel sample to take post accident

[J Tiers]

The fuel in the remaining tanks was 100 octane, just what it was supposed to be..... preliminary info from the investigation via Juan Browne per above link.

Each engine has dual mags, and plugs, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_R-1820_Cyclone

[A.K. Boomer]

Ringo it is where my speculation heads at too, some kind of systemic problem, these things did not have a "master computer" that controlled all ignition function and the like they most likely had double redundancy mags and plugs on each engine,

so what do they all share? the same fuel source ? although im not totally sure of that I would think at least one wing supplied for both that wings engines and loosing two on one side could be a bit of a problem, have no idea the layout but im sure some here do and can expand, so - wrong fuel or water in a batch... whatever - lots of possibilities...

[Bob Engelhardt]

... he must have lost all power, meaning losing the remaining 3 engines.
...

Surely the witnesses would have heard that.