Now this was a long time ago, and my memory probably isn't what it once was, but my recollection of this accident is that it wasn't an uncontrollable engine fire.
The dipstick hadn't been replaced correctly during the preflight and the pressure within the crankcase pumped oil out of the dipstick hole, catching fire on the hot manifold. The pilot thought he had an engine fire, and shut down the engine, but then couldn't maintain height/climb on one, and hit Radar Hill.
He took off on R27 and was returning to land on R16??
This may have been said in previous posts; I didn't read them all, and I may be wrong, but I feel almost certain this is the sequence of events.
Later today:
I've just read most of the posts, and I believe Centaurus has it correct; I was a little out, but essentially the oil came out of the dipstick housing, and presented the illusion of an engine fire.
I never flew Piper twins, but did the Cessna range of twins, and had one fail in a 404 at 500' after TO in the tropics, at AUW + about 20 Kgs. I know the book says 'climb straight ahead', but if I'd done that I'd have ended in the trees, so used what open space I had to complete a tear drop to return for landing. Over the threshold I had sufficient height to lower the gear + about 2 feet, and that was a near new aircraft.
Last edited by relax737; 25th Dec 2009 at 08:16.
Reason: editorial