Narrative:

While doing an engine check prior to departure we had to shut down the right hand engine since it failed the check and hung. While putting the propellers back on the start locks to perform a ventilation run my first officer noticed flames coming from the engine intake. We fired both fire bottles, called tower to get the equipment rolling, grabbed the hand held fire extinguishers and evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft. The fire appeared to be out so we stood around until the crash fire rescue equipment arrived. I think that allowing the airlines to continue to use halon 1211 would be beneficial. I have had good results when using halon and feel that if we were to have to switch to dry chem or some other agent we would lose a lot of benefits from halon 1211. I am also glad that we have 2 extinguishers on board since the first officer was having trouble getting the cockpit one from its bracket. I was able to get the extinguisher from the cabin and proceed outside with no delay while he finally got the 'hung-up' extinguisher and also proceeded outside to back me up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the same type of engine fire incident happened to reporter a week later, but that time there were passenger on board. That incident was reported on another ASRS report and a callback was made. The fire was a burner can fire and apparently related to a failed power turbine lever (ptl) check. While conducting the ptl check, the engine hung and was uncontrollable, so reporter captain shut down the engine using the stop and feather lever. That action was all that was necessary to cut off all combustible fluids to the engine. However, after using the emergency lever, reporter pushed the stop button (according to reporter, company SOP), which then purges the fuel, but also reintroduces fuel into the engine. Reporter was also concerned about replacing halon 1211, which according to reporter's company, says will be replaced because halon 1211 is being banned by the epa. Reporter believes that the plan is to go back to dry chemical extinguishers which are far less effective.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONDUCTING PTL CHK, ENG HUNG AND WAS UNCTLABLE SO IT WAS SHUT DOWN USING STOP FEATHER LEVER. NORMAL SHUTDOWN STOP BUTTON WAS THEN PUSHED WHICH REINTRODUCED FUEL BACK INTO THE ENG AND RESIDUAL HEAT STARTED CAN FIRE.

Narrative: WHILE DOING AN ENG CHK PRIOR TO DEP WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE R HAND ENG SINCE IT FAILED THE CHK AND HUNG. WHILE PUTTING THE PROPS BACK ON THE START LOCKS TO PERFORM A VENTILATION RUN MY FO NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENG INTAKE. WE FIRED BOTH FIRE BOTTLES, CALLED TWR TO GET THE EQUIP ROLLING, GRABBED THE HAND HELD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND EVACED THE ACFT. THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE OUT SO WE STOOD AROUND UNTIL THE CFR ARRIVED. I THINK THAT ALLOWING THE AIRLINES TO CONTINUE TO USE HALON 1211 WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. I HAVE HAD GOOD RESULTS WHEN USING HALON AND FEEL THAT IF WE WERE TO HAVE TO SWITCH TO DRY CHEM OR SOME OTHER AGENT WE WOULD LOSE A LOT OF BENEFITS FROM HALON 1211. I AM ALSO GLAD THAT WE HAVE 2 EXTINGUISHERS ON BOARD SINCE THE FO WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE COCKPIT ONE FROM ITS BRACKET. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE EXTINGUISHER FROM THE CABIN AND PROCEED OUTSIDE WITH NO DELAY WHILE HE FINALLY GOT THE 'HUNG-UP' EXTINGUISHER AND ALSO PROCEEDED OUTSIDE TO BACK ME UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE SAME TYPE OF ENG FIRE INCIDENT HAPPENED TO RPTR A WEEK LATER, BUT THAT TIME THERE WERE PAX ON BOARD. THAT INCIDENT WAS RPTED ON ANOTHER ASRS RPT AND A CALLBACK WAS MADE. THE FIRE WAS A BURNER CAN FIRE AND APPARENTLY RELATED TO A FAILED POWER TURBINE LEVER (PTL) CHK. WHILE CONDUCTING THE PTL CHK, THE ENG HUNG AND WAS UNCTLABLE, SO RPTR CAPT SHUT DOWN THE ENG USING THE STOP AND FEATHER LEVER. THAT ACTION WAS ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY TO CUT OFF ALL COMBUSTIBLE FLUIDS TO THE ENG. HOWEVER, AFTER USING THE EMER LEVER, RPTR PUSHED THE STOP BUTTON (ACCORDING TO RPTR, COMPANY SOP), WHICH THEN PURGES THE FUEL, BUT ALSO REINTRODUCES FUEL INTO THE ENG. RPTR WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT REPLACING HALON 1211, WHICH ACCORDING TO RPTR'S COMPANY, SAYS WILL BE REPLACED BECAUSE HALON 1211 IS BEING BANNED BY THE EPA. RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE PLAN IS TO GO BACK TO DRY CHEMICAL EXTINGUISHERS WHICH ARE FAR LESS EFFECTIVE.

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.