When flight crew tried to start the second engine before takeoff, it caught on fire.

Attributes
ACN	285913
Time
Date	199410
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : day
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	285913
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 16500 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	286061
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Right engine only used for taxi out. When we were about 2 mins from takeoff, attempted to start left engine. Ignition was not turned on during start and fuel puddled in left engine for short time. Aircraft behind us reported fire in left engine. We requested fire trucks, pulled out of line, discharged 1 fire bottle. Fire still reported after about another min. Discharged second bottle. Fire trucks arrived and foamed engine. No evacuate/evacuation. Taxi back in on right engine. Puddled fuel must have self ignited. No fire warning whatsoever.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEN FLC TRIED TO START THE SECOND ENG BEFORE TKOF, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE.

Narrative: R ENG ONLY USED FOR TAXI OUT. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 2 MINS FROM TKOF, ATTEMPTED TO START L ENG. IGNITION WAS NOT TURNED ON DURING START AND FUEL PUDDLED IN L ENG FOR SHORT TIME. ACFT BEHIND US RPTED FIRE IN L ENG. WE REQUESTED FIRE TRUCKS, PULLED OUT OF LINE, DISCHARGED 1 FIRE BOTTLE. FIRE STILL RPTED AFTER ABOUT ANOTHER MIN. DISCHARGED SECOND BOTTLE. FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED AND FOAMED ENG. NO EVAC. TAXI BACK IN ON R ENG. PUDDLED FUEL MUST HAVE SELF IGNITED. NO FIRE WARNING WHATSOEVER.

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.