Narrative:

This morning I arrived at work for an introductory flight. The plane that I was scheduled to fly had frost on the wings and tail surfaces, which I removed with deicer fluid. The temperature was in the teens and after the preflight we used a starting technique which I have found to work successfully on cold mornings. I prime the engine with 2 strokes of primer, pull the propeller through 10-15 blades, prime the engine with 2 or 3 additional strokes of primer, and crank the engine with the mixture at idle cut-off and throttle full open. Again, the engine started immediately, but soon died. I primed the engine again with 2 strokes of primer. I pulled the primer out to use if the engine again started to die. My passenger, trying to help, pushed the primer in. I attempted to restart the engine unsuccessfully. I decided to wait a few mins before attempting another restart. While waiting I noticed smoke from the engine compartment. I attempted another engine start and when that was unsuccessful I had my passenger get out of the plane and I got the fire extinguisher from behind the seat. There was a small fire at the air intake which I extinguished. I then removed the cowling to inspect for damage. After noting no damage which I considered significant I started the engine, ran it up and continued to fly the mission. Post-flight inspection and conversations with the chief instructor and mechanic revealed that the air filter had burned and presented a potential foreign object that may have been drawn into the carburetor. The flight was uneventful, however, the potential existed for problems to develop. A busy schedule, frost on other aircraft and poor starting procedures/performance for cold WX were all contributing factors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS FIRE IN ENG AREA WHILE ATTEMPTING START UP. EXTINGUISHES, THEN FLIES ACFT.

Narrative: THIS MORNING I ARRIVED AT WORK FOR AN INTRODUCTORY FLT. THE PLANE THAT I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY HAD FROST ON THE WINGS AND TAIL SURFACES, WHICH I REMOVED WITH DEICER FLUID. THE TEMP WAS IN THE TEENS AND AFTER THE PREFLT WE USED A STARTING TECHNIQUE WHICH I HAVE FOUND TO WORK SUCCESSFULLY ON COLD MORNINGS. I PRIME THE ENG WITH 2 STROKES OF PRIMER, PULL THE PROP THROUGH 10-15 BLADES, PRIME THE ENG WITH 2 OR 3 ADDITIONAL STROKES OF PRIMER, AND CRANK THE ENG WITH THE MIXTURE AT IDLE CUT-OFF AND THROTTLE FULL OPEN. AGAIN, THE ENG STARTED IMMEDIATELY, BUT SOON DIED. I PRIMED THE ENG AGAIN WITH 2 STROKES OF PRIMER. I PULLED THE PRIMER OUT TO USE IF THE ENG AGAIN STARTED TO DIE. MY PAX, TRYING TO HELP, PUSHED THE PRIMER IN. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG UNSUCCESSFULLY. I DECIDED TO WAIT A FEW MINS BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANOTHER RESTART. WHILE WAITING I NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE ENG COMPARTMENT. I ATTEMPTED ANOTHER ENG START AND WHEN THAT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL I HAD MY PAX GET OUT OF THE PLANE AND I GOT THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM BEHIND THE SEAT. THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE AT THE AIR INTAKE WHICH I EXTINGUISHED. I THEN REMOVED THE COWLING TO INSPECT FOR DAMAGE. AFTER NOTING NO DAMAGE WHICH I CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT I STARTED THE ENG, RAN IT UP AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE MISSION. POST-FLT INSPECTION AND CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR AND MECH REVEALED THAT THE AIR FILTER HAD BURNED AND PRESENTED A POTENTIAL FOREIGN OBJECT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DRAWN INTO THE CARB. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, HOWEVER, THE POTENTIAL EXISTED FOR PROBLEMS TO DEVELOP. A BUSY SCHEDULE, FROST ON OTHER ACFT AND POOR STARTING PROCS/PERFORMANCE FOR COLD WX WERE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.