An air carrier dc-9 had an internal engine fire on start, causing torching.

Attributes
ACN	263923
Time
Date	199402
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sav
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	263923
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Just after pushback, tug was disconnected. #2 engine normal start. On starting #1, tower reported seeing fire on rear of #1 engine. Fire trucks dispatched and both tower and fire trucks recommended immediate evacuate/evacuation. We had no fire warning in cockpit other than high egt. Not knowing what we were facing as far as fire was concerned, we elected to emergency evacuate/evacuation aircraft on ramp. We completed appropriate checklists. Flight attendants did a great job evacing the aircraft. Fire was contained internally in engine. Evacuate/evacuation completed in timely manner with 4 injuries reported, all minor. Possible causes include fuel, residual, in #1 after aborted start on #1 engine. Wind was directly off the tail, ATIS giving 13 gusting to 22 KTS. On starting #1 engine, checklist was read and responded to in normal fashion, but captain failed to turn ignition on after responding 'on.' when no light-off occurred, start was aborted. First officer suggested motoring starter but was told it was not necessary because fuel control lever was not up very long. When #1 was started, it hot-started and apparently fire started. Classic example of not double-checking switch position after checklist item was read and responded to. Supplemental information from acn 265158: I was a flight attendant, flying 'C' position on the dc-9. My primary exit was the 1R door. After pushback, safety demonstration, and walk-through, we took our jumpseats. The cockpit door opened and a voice said we had an engine fire, evacuate/evacuation. The 'a' flight attendant opened 1L door, while shouting commands. I announced over PA to evacuate/evacuation aircraft and immediately opened 1R door after assessing it. As passenger approached they seemed to favor 1L door, so I pulled them toward 1R door. Some passenger were still at the overwing exits, so we yelled to come this way (to front). I returned to wing exit, when the last passenger was there and not moving out. I took him to the front 1L door. He said he could not make it out of the overwing exit. He was elderly. Once off the aircraft, ground personnel led passenger away and into terminal. During evacuate/evacuation, I had to take carry-on baggage away from a passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC-9 HAD AN INTERNAL ENG FIRE ON START, CAUSING TORCHING.

Narrative: JUST AFTER PUSHBACK, TUG WAS DISCONNECTED. #2 ENG NORMAL START. ON STARTING #1, TWR RPTED SEEING FIRE ON REAR OF #1 ENG. FIRE TRUCKS DISPATCHED AND BOTH TWR AND FIRE TRUCKS RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE EVAC. WE HAD NO FIRE WARNING IN COCKPIT OTHER THAN HIGH EGT. NOT KNOWING WHAT WE WERE FACING AS FAR AS FIRE WAS CONCERNED, WE ELECTED TO EMER EVAC ACFT ON RAMP. WE COMPLETED APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. FLT ATTENDANTS DID A GREAT JOB EVACING THE ACFT. FIRE WAS CONTAINED INTERNALLY IN ENG. EVAC COMPLETED IN TIMELY MANNER WITH 4 INJURIES RPTED, ALL MINOR. POSSIBLE CAUSES INCLUDE FUEL, RESIDUAL, IN #1 AFTER ABORTED START ON #1 ENG. WIND WAS DIRECTLY OFF THE TAIL, ATIS GIVING 13 GUSTING TO 22 KTS. ON STARTING #1 ENG, CHKLIST WAS READ AND RESPONDED TO IN NORMAL FASHION, BUT CAPT FAILED TO TURN IGNITION ON AFTER RESPONDING 'ON.' WHEN NO LIGHT-OFF OCCURRED, START WAS ABORTED. FO SUGGESTED MOTORING STARTER BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE FUEL CTL LEVER WAS NOT UP VERY LONG. WHEN #1 WAS STARTED, IT HOT-STARTED AND APPARENTLY FIRE STARTED. CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF NOT DOUBLE-CHKING SWITCH POS AFTER CHKLIST ITEM WAS READ AND RESPONDED TO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 265158: I WAS A FLT ATTENDANT, FLYING 'C' POS ON THE DC-9. MY PRIMARY EXIT WAS THE 1R DOOR. AFTER PUSHBACK, SAFETY DEMO, AND WALK-THROUGH, WE TOOK OUR JUMPSEATS. THE COCKPIT DOOR OPENED AND A VOICE SAID WE HAD AN ENG FIRE, EVAC. THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT OPENED 1L DOOR, WHILE SHOUTING COMMANDS. I ANNOUNCED OVER PA TO EVAC ACFT AND IMMEDIATELY OPENED 1R DOOR AFTER ASSESSING IT. AS PAX APCHED THEY SEEMED TO FAVOR 1L DOOR, SO I PULLED THEM TOWARD 1R DOOR. SOME PAX WERE STILL AT THE OVERWING EXITS, SO WE YELLED TO COME THIS WAY (TO FRONT). I RETURNED TO WING EXIT, WHEN THE LAST PAX WAS THERE AND NOT MOVING OUT. I TOOK HIM TO THE FRONT 1L DOOR. HE SAID HE COULD NOT MAKE IT OUT OF THE OVERWING EXIT. HE WAS ELDERLY. ONCE OFF THE ACFT, GND PERSONNEL LED PAX AWAY AND INTO TERMINAL. DURING EVAC, I HAD TO TAKE CARRY-ON BAGGAGE AWAY FROM A PAX.

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.