Engine fire on start up required the use of ground fire extinguisher.

Attributes
ACN	84606
Time
Date	198803
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
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	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
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 : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	84606
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	other pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 440
ASRS Report	84630
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During pushback from the gate at ewr in a widebody transport we were starting engines. We got a good start on engine #2 and did not get a light off on the start of the #1 engine. We consulted the abnormal procedures for no light off and attempted another start with an alternate ignition system. All engine parameters were normal when the headset/ramp operator informed us that the #1 engine was on fire. I immediately secured the start lever and we motored the engine to blow out the fire. After 30 seconds the fire was reported still burning and the fire handle was pulled and fire bottle #1 activated. After another 30-45 seconds the ramp operator reported that the fire was still burning and fire bottle #2 was activated. The fire in the #1 engine was finally put out after the ramp personnel expended pkp fire retardant into the engine. The airport crash crew was called as a back up. Though the fire was isolated to the tailpipe section, we in the cockpit did not know this. It would have helped if the ramp operator had been more specific in describing the fire's location. We all have a tendency to get excited during any kind of fire--especially inexperienced ramp personnel. The passenger were not evacuate/evacuation'd and were kept informed of the situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: igniter that was being used for the start is located in the lower portion on the engine. Suspect it had become fouled with fuel on the first start attempt. Excess fuel had accumulated in the engine in spite of using proper procedure to blow out the fuel and the resulting fire when the other igniter was used on the second attempt. Aircraft extinguishing system does not fire into the hot section and as a result was ineffective. Fire crews were asked to stand by after the fire was put out because fuel continued to drain from the engine. When it was clear, the aircraft was towed back into the gate and aircraft change made. Subject aircraft was back in service that afternoon after a wash-down of the engine. Operation normal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE FIRE ON START UP REQUIRED THE USE OF GND FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE AT EWR IN A WDB WE WERE STARTING ENGS. WE GOT A GOOD START ON ENG #2 AND DID NOT GET A LIGHT OFF ON THE START OF THE #1 ENG. WE CONSULTED THE ABNORMAL PROCS FOR NO LIGHT OFF AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER START WITH AN ALTERNATE IGNITION SYS. ALL ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL WHEN THE HEADSET/RAMP OPERATOR INFORMED US THAT THE #1 ENG WAS ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY SECURED THE START LEVER AND WE MOTORED THE ENG TO BLOW OUT THE FIRE. AFTER 30 SECS THE FIRE WAS RPTED STILL BURNING AND THE FIRE HANDLE WAS PULLED AND FIRE BOTTLE #1 ACTIVATED. AFTER ANOTHER 30-45 SECS THE RAMP OPERATOR RPTED THAT THE FIRE WAS STILL BURNING AND FIRE BOTTLE #2 WAS ACTIVATED. THE FIRE IN THE #1 ENG WAS FINALLY PUT OUT AFTER THE RAMP PERSONNEL EXPENDED PKP FIRE RETARDANT INTO THE ENG. THE ARPT CRASH CREW WAS CALLED AS A BACK UP. THOUGH THE FIRE WAS ISOLATED TO THE TAILPIPE SECTION, WE IN THE COCKPIT DID NOT KNOW THIS. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF THE RAMP OPERATOR HAD BEEN MORE SPECIFIC IN DESCRIBING THE FIRE'S LOCATION. WE ALL HAVE A TENDENCY TO GET EXCITED DURING ANY KIND OF FIRE--ESPECIALLY INEXPERIENCED RAMP PERSONNEL. THE PAX WERE NOT EVAC'D AND WERE KEPT INFORMED OF THE SITUATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: IGNITER THAT WAS BEING USED FOR THE START IS LOCATED IN THE LOWER PORTION ON THE ENG. SUSPECT IT HAD BECOME FOULED WITH FUEL ON THE FIRST START ATTEMPT. EXCESS FUEL HAD ACCUMULATED IN THE ENG IN SPITE OF USING PROPER PROC TO BLOW OUT THE FUEL AND THE RESULTING FIRE WHEN THE OTHER IGNITER WAS USED ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. ACFT EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM DOES NOT FIRE INTO THE HOT SECTION AND AS A RESULT WAS INEFFECTIVE. FIRE CREWS WERE ASKED TO STAND BY AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT BECAUSE FUEL CONTINUED TO DRAIN FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN IT WAS CLEAR, THE ACFT WAS TOWED BACK INTO THE GATE AND ACFT CHANGE MADE. SUBJECT ACFT WAS BACK IN SERVICE THAT AFTERNOON AFTER A WASH-DOWN OF THE ENGINE. OPERATION NORMAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.