I've heard from various sources over the years that having a fuel tank mounted in the cabin is not as safe as having a tank located in the wing. In a crash scenario, I think this is intuitively obvious.
But, aside from casual anecdotes, I wonder if information exists that would clarify whether the increased risk is sufficient enough to make relocating the tank to another location a smart idea worthy of the impact on the design (CG changes etc).
I ask because the designer of my aircraft, an Acey Deucy, specifies the location just aft of the firewall, mounted behind the forward cockpit's instrument panel.
Thanks in advance for any information.