Light transport had engine inlet fire during unsuccessful engine start.

Attributes
ACN	254968
Time
Date	199310
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mwa
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	254968
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 7100 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	254578
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

During engine start, witnessed no rotation of propeller, followed by excessive white smoke coming from engine inlet, followed by visible flames from inlet. No fire warnings in cockpit were activated. However, as PIC, I elected to discharge 1 of the 2 fire bottles into the engine compartment to prevent the possibility of the fire spreading. It was in the interest of safety. No emergency evacuate/evacuation was taken. Just a cancelled flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said no damage was done to the engine. They only had 2 passenger on board and the cabin door was on the opposite side of the aircraft from the burning engine so he felt a last-min evacuate/evacuation would be no problem if it became necessary. It is possible that a 'flight-ground' switch was in the flight position which would prevent starter engagement but would permit ignition and possibly fuel flow to occur.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT HAD ENG INLET FIRE DURING UNSUCCESSFUL ENG START.

Narrative: DURING ENG START, WITNESSED NO ROTATION OF PROP, FOLLOWED BY EXCESSIVE WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM ENG INLET, FOLLOWED BY VISIBLE FLAMES FROM INLET. NO FIRE WARNINGS IN COCKPIT WERE ACTIVATED. HOWEVER, AS PIC, I ELECTED TO DISCHARGE 1 OF THE 2 FIRE BOTTLES INTO THE ENG COMPARTMENT TO PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FIRE SPREADING. IT WAS IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. NO EMER EVAC WAS TAKEN. JUST A CANCELLED FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ENG. THEY ONLY HAD 2 PAX ON BOARD AND THE CABIN DOOR WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ACFT FROM THE BURNING ENG SO HE FELT A LAST-MIN EVAC WOULD BE NO PROB IF IT BECAME NECESSARY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A 'FLT-GND' SWITCH WAS IN THE FLT POS WHICH WOULD PREVENT STARTER ENGAGEMENT BUT WOULD PERMIT IGNITION AND POSSIBLY FUEL FLOW TO OCCUR.

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.