A PA31-350 pilot and copilot reported an engine fire while climbing through 3000 ft near ccr.

Attributes
ACN	573217
Time
Date	200301
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	573217
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2775 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	572341
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While climbing through 3000 ft, my first officer saw flames coming out of the right engine nacelle. I was PIC and PF at the time. I went through the memory items of engine shutdown procedures. I then started a dive while asking my first officer to run me through the emergency checklist. The fire was extinguished within 10 seconds. I declared an emergency with ATC and asked for a priority landing on runway 27R oakland. The rest of the flight was uneventful. It was discovered that the first officer failed to replace the oil dipstick in its slot after checking the oil quantity of the right engine. The oil escaped from the crankcase and was sprayed over the engine and caught fire. The first officer was distraction during his preflight and left the dipstick on the upper camber of the right wing. It was later found on the ramp, 10 yards behind the aircraft parking space.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA31-350 PLT AND COPLT RPTED AN ENG FIRE WHILE CLBING THROUGH 3000 FT NEAR CCR.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH 3000 FT, MY FO SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE R ENG NACELLE. I WAS PIC AND PF AT THE TIME. I WENT THROUGH THE MEMORY ITEMS OF ENG SHUTDOWN PROCS. I THEN STARTED A DIVE WHILE ASKING MY FO TO RUN ME THROUGH THE EMER CHKLIST. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITHIN 10 SECONDS. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND ASKED FOR A PRIORITY LNDG ON RWY 27R OAKLAND. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FO FAILED TO REPLACE THE OIL DIPSTICK IN ITS SLOT AFTER CHKING THE OIL QUANTITY OF THE R ENG. THE OIL ESCAPED FROM THE CRANKCASE AND WAS SPRAYED OVER THE ENG AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE FO WAS DISTR DURING HIS PREFLT AND LEFT THE DIPSTICK ON THE UPPER CAMBER OF THE R WING. IT WAS LATER FOUND ON THE RAMP, 10 YARDS BEHIND THE ACFT PARKING SPACE.

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.