What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
My student pilot and I had gone out to the aircraft after it had finished its 100 hour inspection. We were planning to go up for a training session. We had finished our preflight inspection and determined the aircraft was good to fly. We attempted to start the aircraft without using the primer, in the past we were able to start it without the primer, without much success. I had decided to use two pumps of primer and open the throttle, a little more than usual, to attempt a start. The engine never fully turned over. I decided to shut everything off and inspect the cowling to see if there was an issue. Upon my inspection, there was smoke coming out of the cowling. I evacuated my student pilot and grabbed the fire extinguisher to attempt to put it out. The small extinguisher that I had was insufficient. I called 911 and we stepped away from the airplane. Shortly after that, airport operations came to suppress it as much as they could but could not fully extinguish it. The fire department came a few minutes later and put out the flames.
The aircraft was current prior to this inciddent. All primer nozzles were open, throttle fuction normally. Engine fire was caused by pumping the throttle to start it. POH does not list pumping throttle to start, requires pumping primer.
As the FAA filed it
MY STUDENT PILOT AND I HAD GONE OUT TO THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT HAD FINISHED ITS 100 HOUR INSPECTION. WE WERE PLANNING TO GO UP FOR A TRAINING SESSION. WE HAD FINISHED OUR PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOOD TO FLY. WE ATTEMPTED TO START THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT USING THE PRIMER, IN THE PAST WE WERE ABLE TO START IT WITHOUT THE PRIMER, WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS. I HAD DECIDED TO USE TWO PUMPS OF PRIMER AND OPEN THE THROTTLE, A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL, TO ATTEMPT A START. THE ENGINE NEVER FULLY TURNED OVER. I DECIDED TO SHUT EVERYTHING OFF AND INSPECT THE COWLING TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE. UPON MY INSPECTION, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE COWLING. I EVACUATED MY STUDENT PILOT AND GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO ATTEMPT TO PUT IT OUT. THE SMALL EXTINGUISHER THAT I HAD WAS INSUFFICIENT. I CALLED 911 AND WE STEPPED AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, AIRPORT OPERATIONS CAME TO SUPPRESS IT AS MUCH AS THEY COULD BUT COULD NOT FULLY EXTINGUISH IT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME A FEW MINUTES LATER AND PUT OUT THE FLAMES.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT PRIOR TO THIS INCIDDENT. ALL PRIMER NOZZLES WERE OPEN, THROTTLE FUCTION NORMALLY. ENGINE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY PUMPING THE THROTTLE TO START IT. POH DOES NOT LIST PUMPING THROTTLE TO START, REQUIRES PUMPING PRIMER.
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