Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper emergency procedures for an engine fire during starting which resulted in the substantial damage. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's improper starting procedure and his lack of total experience.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
This was the first flight of the day and the temperature was below freezing. The pilot primed the engine several times and then attempted to start the engine. It ran for a few seconds and then stopped. He primed it several times again and then attempted another start. Again the engine started and then stopped. He then noticed a glow on the ground and evacuated the passengers while he attempted to crank the engine, however the flames spread, and the pilot evacuated the airplane. The master switch, electric fuel pump, mixture control and the fuel selector valve were left on. According to the airplane flight manual, priming is used only after the initial start attempt. In addition, if a fire occurs during start, the manual say to shut off the mixture and fuel selector. The pilot had 90 hours total time.
Source record
Factual narrative
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