Instructor pilot with student has engine fire after priming engine and attempting a start.

Attributes
ACN	408365
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1750 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	408365
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Unknown to me, there was a leak in the primer line. We primed the engine and started it. The engine backfired and when we tried to crank it again, we noticed smoke from the engine. We jumped out from the airplane and put out the fire with an extinguisher. The fire department came and looked at it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT WITH STUDENT HAS ENG FIRE AFTER PRIMING ENG AND ATTEMPTING A START.

Narrative: UNKNOWN TO ME, THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE PRIMER LINE. WE PRIMED THE ENG AND STARTED IT. THE ENG BACKFIRED AND WHEN WE TRIED TO CRANK IT AGAIN, WE NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE ENG. WE JUMPED OUT FROM THE AIRPLANE AND PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH AN EXTINGUISHER. THE FIRE DEPT CAME AND LOOKED AT IT.

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.