Narrative:

Student pilot and I (instructor) had stopped briefly in santa flight engineer and were preparing to continue the lesson. The student was trying to start the small aircraft using the technique his partners in the aircraft had recommended. We experienced an engine fire. The student saw the black smoke first. He may have surmised a fire or perhaps saw flames. From my side of the aircraft, I saw nothing. I told student to call tower for a fire truck and grabbed the fire extinguisher and exited the plane. I couldn't make the extinguisher work but the student was able to use it and put out the fire. It never occurred to me to read the directions on the fire extinguisher or to keep cranking the engine starter, even though this is what we have all been told to do. In my 3000 hours and many check rides, we have talked about this type of emergency but never practiced it. So this is my recommendation: 1) everyone should read directions on the extinguisher, know how to operate it and where it is kept -- at least once for each extinguisher and aircraft. 2) walk through the procedure with actual cranking the engine, turning off fuel -- call for help, etc. Do this like we practice engine failure. Finally, we do not know as a fact, the cause of the fire. It may have been the starting procedure or a fuel leak.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH PRIVATE PLT STARTING ENG. TECHNIQUE USED CAUSED ENG FIRE. CALL FOR FIRE TRUCKS, USE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Narrative: STUDENT PLT AND I (INSTRUCTOR) HAD STOPPED BRIEFLY IN SANTA FE AND WERE PREPARING TO CONTINUE THE LESSON. THE STUDENT WAS TRYING TO START THE SMA USING THE TECHNIQUE HIS PARTNERS IN THE ACFT HAD RECOMMENDED. WE EXPERIENCED AN ENG FIRE. THE STUDENT SAW THE BLACK SMOKE FIRST. HE MAY HAVE SURMISED A FIRE OR PERHAPS SAW FLAMES. FROM MY SIDE OF THE ACFT, I SAW NOTHING. I TOLD STUDENT TO CALL TWR FOR A FIRE TRUCK AND GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND EXITED THE PLANE. I COULDN'T MAKE THE EXTINGUISHER WORK BUT THE STUDENT WAS ABLE TO USE IT AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER OR TO KEEP CRANKING THE ENG STARTER, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN TOLD TO DO. IN MY 3000 HRS AND MANY CHK RIDES, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS TYPE OF EMER BUT NEVER PRACTICED IT. SO THIS IS MY RECOMMENDATION: 1) EVERYONE SHOULD READ DIRECTIONS ON THE EXTINGUISHER, KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT AND WHERE IT IS KEPT -- AT LEAST ONCE FOR EACH EXTINGUISHER AND ACFT. 2) WALK THROUGH THE PROC WITH ACTUAL CRANKING THE ENG, TURNING OFF FUEL -- CALL FOR HELP, ETC. DO THIS LIKE WE PRACTICE ENG FAILURE. FINALLY, WE DO NOT KNOW AS A FACT, THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE STARTING PROC OR A FUEL LEAK.

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.