Narrative:

Shortly after shifting from bakersfield approach to ZLA on a VFR flight from modesto, ca, to burbank, ca, at 7500 ft MSL, the first officer reported seeing flames in the louvers just aft of the inboard engine exhaust on the #2 engine. I noted the fire t- handle warning light was not on. I unstrapped and visually confirmed a bright yellow/orange flickering through the louvers. After strapping back in, I ordered execution of the 'engine fire in-flight' checklist. Engine shut down and feather was normal. After completion of the checklist, the first officer reported the fire still present. This was disconcerting since the t-handle (firewall shutoff valve) had been pulled as part of the checklist. I immediately turned toward the nearest airport, GA fox field, and was on the verge of declaring an emergency with ZLA when the first officer said, 'wait a min, I see some tape fluttering.' I asked him to confirm that he saw no flames, only fluttering tape. This he did. At this point, we realized that the change in airflow caused by the now feathered propeller and the change in the angle of the sun as a result of the turn to fix field had revealed our engine fire to be a rapidly flickering piece of orange silicon tape. We conducted an air restart (carefully monitoring the instruments, fire warning indicators, and louvers). Restart was uneventful and we returned to burbank uneventfully. Postflt revealed a 3 inch length of loose orange tape dangling from an orange insulated line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE99 FO SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE FLAMES INSIDE THE COWLING OF #2 ENG.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER SHIFTING FROM BAKERSFIELD APCH TO ZLA ON A VFR FLT FROM MODESTO, CA, TO BURBANK, CA, AT 7500 FT MSL, THE FO RPTED SEEING FLAMES IN THE LOUVERS JUST AFT OF THE INBOARD ENG EXHAUST ON THE #2 ENG. I NOTED THE FIRE T- HANDLE WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON. I UNSTRAPPED AND VISUALLY CONFIRMED A BRIGHT YELLOW/ORANGE FLICKERING THROUGH THE LOUVERS. AFTER STRAPPING BACK IN, I ORDERED EXECUTION OF THE 'ENG FIRE INFLT' CHKLIST. ENG SHUT DOWN AND FEATHER WAS NORMAL. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE CHKLIST, THE FO RPTED THE FIRE STILL PRESENT. THIS WAS DISCONCERTING SINCE THE T-HANDLE (FIREWALL SHUTOFF VALVE) HAD BEEN PULLED AS PART OF THE CHKLIST. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARD THE NEAREST ARPT, GA FOX FIELD, AND WAS ON THE VERGE OF DECLARING AN EMER WITH ZLA WHEN THE FO SAID, 'WAIT A MIN, I SEE SOME TAPE FLUTTERING.' I ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM THAT HE SAW NO FLAMES, ONLY FLUTTERING TAPE. THIS HE DID. AT THIS POINT, WE REALIZED THAT THE CHANGE IN AIRFLOW CAUSED BY THE NOW FEATHERED PROP AND THE CHANGE IN THE ANGLE OF THE SUN AS A RESULT OF THE TURN TO FIX FIELD HAD REVEALED OUR ENG FIRE TO BE A RAPIDLY FLICKERING PIECE OF ORANGE SILICON TAPE. WE CONDUCTED AN AIR RESTART (CAREFULLY MONITORING THE INSTS, FIRE WARNING INDICATORS, AND LOUVERS). RESTART WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE RETURNED TO BURBANK UNEVENTFULLY. POSTFLT REVEALED A 3 INCH LENGTH OF LOOSE ORANGE TAPE DANGLING FROM AN ORANGE INSULATED LINE.

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.