This TBM Avenger force-landed on a runway in Millville, NJ on 3/7/09, caught fire and burned. There were no injuries.

N188TD

http://www.faa.gov/data_statistics/accident_incident/preliminary_data/events01/media/05_188TD.txt

Chris Kennedy

News link & pix

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090309/NEWS01/903090344/1006/NEWS01

Fair use excerpt:

By JOEL LANDAU

Gannett New Jersey

A longtime pilot of World War II aircraft was critically burned after one of his plane's wings burst into flames after takeoff at Millville Airport, forcing a dramatic emergency landing and escape.

Terry Rush, 63, of Cherry Hill was in critical but stable condition Sunday at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., a nursing supervisor said. Police said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

After the crash Saturday evening, the charred, twisted remains of the blue and white Grumman TBM Avenger were taken to Bianco Bros. in Bridgeton.

The single-seat torpedo bomber was featured in last year's Wheels & Warbirds Airshow in Millville that Rush, a local airplane mechanic, helped coordinate.

State police and firefighters rushed to the airport about 5 p.m. Saturday after the fiery emergency landing. Rush had taken off from runway 28 and was beginning to enter a flight pattern when he realized his left wing was ablaze, police said.

Rush turned the around plane and landed on a small patch of grass, police said. Rush escaped from the cockpit, got onto the wing and jumped off the plane -- which was fully engulfed in flames -- as it slowly rolled toward the runway, police said. The aircraft rolled to a stop on the runway.

Rush suffered second- and third-degree burns on the left side of his chest and both hands. He was taken by medical helicopter to Cooper University Hospital in Camden and then transferred to Crozer-Chester, which specializes in burn cases.

No one on the ground was injured.

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Sad, One of several warbirds, hangared at MIV, others include B-25 , P-47 owned by Tom Duffy (Claire Aviation).

John

Obviously, the FAA preliminary report got it wrong that there were no injuries.

Sounds like the pilot was lucky he made it back to the airport.

We all know that the Avenger is not a single-seat airplane, of course.

CK

Sorry to hear about the loss of this airplane. I have seen here many times in the past.

Our prayers go out to the pilot for speedy healing. Glad he's still with us.