Narrative:

On may/xa/98, I began my flying lesson at about ZZ00 with my instructor at spirit of st louis airport in chesterfield, mo. We stayed in the pattern for about 1 hour doing 'touch and goes.' about ZA00 we taxied off the runway and got permission from the tower to taxi to the hangar. As I throttled forward to taxi, the engine back-fired and stopped. My instructor then started the engine and it back- fired and stopped. We called the tower and said we needed a tug to take us to the hangar but just after that call we saw smoke coming from the instrument panel. We turned everything off and got out of airplane and saw flames under engine cowling. It is believed the fire was caused by a malfunctioning carburetor. It was not until after the above incident, when the logbooks were retrieved from a mechanic, that it was realized the airplane was out of annual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA ON TAXI DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO AN ENG FIRE CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTIONING CARB. ACFT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS LATER FOUND TO BE OUT OF TIME.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/98, I BEGAN MY FLYING LESSON AT ABOUT ZZ00 WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AT SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS ARPT IN CHESTERFIELD, MO. WE STAYED IN THE PATTERN FOR ABOUT 1 HR DOING 'TOUCH AND GOES.' ABOUT ZA00 WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND GOT PERMISSION FROM THE TWR TO TAXI TO THE HANGAR. AS I THROTTLED FORWARD TO TAXI, THE ENG BACK-FIRED AND STOPPED. MY INSTRUCTOR THEN STARTED THE ENG AND IT BACK- FIRED AND STOPPED. WE CALLED THE TWR AND SAID WE NEEDED A TUG TO TAKE US TO THE HANGAR BUT JUST AFTER THAT CALL WE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE INST PANEL. WE TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AND GOT OUT OF AIRPLANE AND SAW FLAMES UNDER ENG COWLING. IT IS BELIEVED THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTIONING CARB. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER THE ABOVE INCIDENT, WHEN THE LOGBOOKS WERE RETRIEVED FROM A MECH, THAT IT WAS REALIZED THE AIRPLANE WAS OUT OF ANNUAL.

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.