Then you open the throttle fully, and continue to operate the starter motor — Page 160, Lesson 252

I want to walk you through a specific engine fire scenario that starts with a malfunction — not a crash or a fuel spill, but a fire caused by something internal to the engine itself. The excerpt gives us two main branches: what to do if the engine has started, and what to do if it hasn't, plus a whole separate set of considerations for when the aircraft is on the ground versus airborne. Let's start with the cause. The fire can come from a malfunction of the engine — for example, incorrect valve clearance or a valve failure — or from poor engine starting technique, specifically 'pumping' the throttle. That's when a pilot repeatedly moves the throttle back and forth during start, which can dump raw fuel into the induction system and cause a fire. The drill that follows depends on one simple question: has the engine started or not? If the engine has not started, you move the mixture control to ICO — Idle Cut Off — which shuts off the fuel supply. Then you open the throttle fully, and continue to operate the starter motor. The idea is to draw air through the engine to blow out the fire. If the engine has started, your action is different: keep it going. A running engine will often suck the fire into the cylinders and burn it off. In either case, if the fire does not go out after a few seconds, you action the engine fire drill for the ground, which is specific to your aeroplane type. That drill will include: fuel off, electrics off, brakes off, and evacuate the aeroplane. So you cut the fuel, kill the electrical system, release the brakes so the aircraft can be moved if needed, and get everyone out. Now, the excerpt broadens the picture. For an engine fire other than the one we just described — meaning a fire that isn't caused by a starting malfunction — you have to consider the situation. Is the aeroplane airborne or on the ground? If on the ground, is it stationary or taxiing? If stationary, does it have passengers embarked? Is it close to other aircraft, with or without passengers? Is it near a hangar or other vulnerable ground installation, like a refuelling point? The key principle here is that preservation of human life is paramount. You must consider summoning trained specialist assistance — fire and rescue crews — and/or declaring the emergency to the relevant control unit. Again, type-specific drills are required, and those will be in the aeroplane manual or an annex to it. But for initial actions in flight, the excerpt says they are generally similar for the type of engine. It then gives us the drill for piston engines. Here's the sequence: turn off the fuel — either by moving the fuel selector to off, or moving the mixture control to Idle Cut Off (ICO). Then allow the engine to run itself dry of fuel and stop. Once the engine stops, the engine and the induction system should be purged of fuel, and the fire should be extinguished. At that point, you switch off the ignition to the affected engine — and the excerpt adds a critical caution: make sure you have identified the correct engine ignition system. On a multi-engine aircraft, you don't want to kill the good engine by mistake. So to summarise: for a piston engine fire in flight, the initial actions are fuel off, let the engine run dry and stop, purge the induction system, extinguish the fire, then switch off the ignition — but only after confirming you've selected the right engine.