Small aircraft sel caught fire when pilot was attempting to start the engine after preflight.

Attributes
ACN	304053
Time
Date	199505
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mvy
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 80 flight time type : 14
ASRS Report	304053
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On may/thu/95, I flew from norwood municipal airport to vineyard haven airport at martha's vineyard in a rented piper PA28-161 (warrior) model airplane. I was accompanied by 2 passenger. After a short stay at the GA terminal at vineyard haven, we returned to the airplane. While attempting to start the engine, I smelled smoke and saw fumes rise. I secured the engine and immediately exited the airplane. Flames were coming from the lower side of the cowling. I immediately sought help from the airport's operations manager, who extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had never heard what caused the fire even though it had been investigated by maintenance and insurance agents. Definitely suspect that it was flooded engine fuel fire on start. He further stated that he did not hear the engine start or fire at all during the starting cranking process. This would possibly explain why there could have been raw fuel flaming out the exhaust pipe, lighting the fire. After the reporter noticed smoke coming from the engine cowling, he shut off the fuel, ignitions mags and all electrical and deplaned. He noticed that the nosewheel strut and tire were burning and that the tire was almost completely burned up!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SEL CAUGHT FIRE WHEN PLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENG AFTER PREFLT.

Narrative: ON MAY/THU/95, I FLEW FROM NORWOOD MUNICIPAL ARPT TO VINEYARD HAVEN ARPT AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD IN A RENTED PIPER PA28-161 (WARRIOR) MODEL AIRPLANE. I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY 2 PAX. AFTER A SHORT STAY AT THE GA TERMINAL AT VINEYARD HAVEN, WE RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENG, I SMELLED SMOKE AND SAW FUMES RISE. I SECURED THE ENG AND IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE AIRPLANE. FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE LOWER SIDE OF THE COWLING. I IMMEDIATELY SOUGHT HELP FROM THE ARPT'S OPS MGR, WHO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN INVESTIGATED BY MAINT AND INSURANCE AGENTS. DEFINITELY SUSPECT THAT IT WAS FLOODED ENG FUEL FIRE ON START. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE ENG START OR FIRE AT ALL DURING THE STARTING CRANKING PROCESS. THIS WOULD POSSIBLY EXPLAIN WHY THERE COULD HAVE BEEN RAW FUEL FLAMING OUT THE EXHAUST PIPE, LIGHTING THE FIRE. AFTER THE RPTR NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENG COWLING, HE SHUT OFF THE FUEL, IGNITIONS MAGS AND ALL ELECTRICAL AND DEPLANED. HE NOTICED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL STRUT AND TIRE WERE BURNING AND THAT THE TIRE WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY BURNED UP!

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.