Narrative:

Number 1 engine start normal, in process of starting number 2 when ramp crew alerted me to fire on number 1 engine. I shut down both engines (and asked first officer to unlock cockpit door and have flight service manager come to cockpit). I asked ramp crew for engine status and it was confirmed that engine was still on fire and that fire was getting worse. First officer radioed for fire trucks as I pulled fire handle and I activated the number 1 fire bottle. I then told the flight service manager that we had an engine fire on aircraft left number 1 engine and that we were working the problem and may have to evacuate aircraft. I asked her to stand by. I then requested a status report from ramp crew, who confirmed that fire was getting worse. I then activated number 2 fire bottle. The ground control confirmed our fire was still burning and that emergency trucks were coming. Ramp crew confirmed fire was still burning and at this point I ordered the aircraft to be evacuated. I ran the appropriate checklist after aircraft had been evacuated and aircraft fire was extinguished. Under the stress of the moment, I should have ran checklists prior to ordering the evacuation, and regret that I did not. Supplemental information from acn 528619: at same time ramp tower reporting to us extensive smoke and flames. After shutdown, captain asked me to unlatch and open cockpit door and ask lead flight attendant to cockpit. He briefed her and said to prepare cabin attendant for emergency evacuation. While this is going on ramp crew reporting increasing flames with fuel pouring onto ramp. Captain blew first fire bottle into number 1 engine, ramp tower now also calling to say smoke and flames continuing, do we want trucks, I told them to roll the fire equipment. Captain blew #2 bottle into #1 engine and flames continued, with fuel still leaking onto ramp. Emergency vehicles not at scene yet. Captain set flaps 40 degrees and ordered evacuation aircraft right, emergency vehicles arrive and spray engine and ramp. I left the cockpit to help coordination passenger on ramp. Captain ran the emergency checklist after I left. Evacuation went smooth with no injuries to passenger or crew. This unfolded very quick, with much of this report happening simultaneously, i.e. Radio calls from ramp tower and ramp crew. We envisioned a huge fire getting bigger and therefore accomplished items without the emergency checklist, at the time we did them. In retrospect I should have done one more item simultaneously and reached for the emergency checklist. Another factor could have been a certain amount of fatigue due to short overnight and early get up in eastern time zone, low quality rest, last day of trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 CREW EXPERIENCED AN ENG FIRE DURING ENG START.

Narrative: NUMBER 1 ENG START NORMAL, IN PROCESS OF STARTING NUMBER 2 WHEN RAMP CREW ALERTED ME TO FIRE ON NUMBER 1 ENG. I SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS (AND ASKED FO TO UNLOCK COCKPIT DOOR AND HAVE FLT SVC MGR COME TO COCKPIT). I ASKED RAMP CREW FOR ENG STATUS AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT ENG WAS STILL ON FIRE AND THAT FIRE WAS GETTING WORSE. FO RADIOED FOR FIRE TRUCKS AS I PULLED FIRE HANDLE AND I ACTIVATED THE NUMBER 1 FIRE BOTTLE. I THEN TOLD THE FLT SVC MANAGER THAT WE HAD AN ENG FIRE ON ACFT LEFT NUMBER 1 ENG AND THAT WE WERE WORKING THE PROB AND MAY HAVE TO EVACUATE ACFT. I ASKED HER TO STAND BY. I THEN REQUESTED A STATUS RPT FROM RAMP CREW, WHO CONFIRMED THAT FIRE WAS GETTING WORSE. I THEN ACTIVATED NUMBER 2 FIRE BOTTLE. THE GND CTL CONFIRMED OUR FIRE WAS STILL BURNING AND THAT EMER TRUCKS WERE COMING. RAMP CREW CONFIRMED FIRE WAS STILL BURNING AND AT THIS POINT I ORDERED THE ACFT TO BE EVACUATED. I RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHECKLIST AFTER ACFT HAD BEEN EVACUATED AND ACFT FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. UNDER THE STRESS OF THE MOMENT, I SHOULD HAVE RAN CHECKLISTS PRIOR TO ORDERING THE EVACUATION, AND REGRET THAT I DID NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 528619: AT SAME TIME RAMP TWR RPTING TO US EXTENSIVE SMOKE AND FLAMES. AFTER SHUTDOWN, CAPT ASKED ME TO UNLATCH AND OPEN COCKPIT DOOR AND ASK LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO COCKPIT. HE BRIEFED HER AND SAID TO PREPARE CAB FOR EMER EVACUATION. WHILE THIS IS GOING ON RAMP CREW RPTING INCREASING FLAMES WITH FUEL POURING ONTO RAMP. CAPT BLEW FIRST FIRE BOTTLE INTO NUMBER 1 ENG, RAMP TWR NOW ALSO CALLING TO SAY SMOKE AND FLAMES CONTINUING, DO WE WANT TRUCKS, I TOLD THEM TO ROLL THE FIRE EQUIP. CAPT BLEW #2 BOTTLE INTO #1 ENG AND FLAMES CONTINUED, WITH FUEL STILL LEAKING ONTO RAMP. EMERGENCY VEHICLES NOT AT SCENE YET. CAPT SET FLAPS 40 DEGS AND ORDERED EVACUATION ACFT RIGHT, EMERGENCY VEHICLES ARRIVE AND SPRAY ENG AND RAMP. I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO HELP COORD PAX ON RAMP. CAPT RAN THE EMER CHECKLIST AFTER I LEFT. EVACUATION WENT SMOOTH WITH NO INJURIES TO PAX OR CREW. THIS UNFOLDED VERY QUICK, WITH MUCH OF THIS RPT HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY, I.E. RADIO CALLS FROM RAMP TWR AND RAMP CREW. WE ENVISIONED A HUGE FIRE GETTING BIGGER AND THEREFORE ACCOMPLISHED ITEMS WITHOUT THE EMER CHECKLIST, AT THE TIME WE DID THEM. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE DONE ONE MORE ITEM SIMULTANEOUSLY AND REACHED FOR THE EMER CHECKLIST. ANOTHER FACTOR COULD HAVE BEEN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FATIGUE DUE TO SHORT OVERNIGHT AND EARLY GET UP IN EASTERN TIME ZONE, LOW QUALITY REST, LAST DAY OF TRIP.

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.