Flight and Initial Landing
During a short cross-country instructional flight, a flight instructor, a student pilot, and a pilot-rated passenger conducted stop-and-go landing practice. On the first landing, after touchdown, the student pilot reduced engine power to idle, and the engine lost total power. The airplane came to a stop on the runway.
Restart Attempts and Fire
The student pilot then attempted to restart the engine. He noted that the electric fuel pump was still on from the landing and the mixture control was full forward. He pumped the throttle while trying to start, but the engine did not start. Believing the engine was flooded, he turned off the electric fuel pump and pulled the mixture control to the off position. Another restart attempt was unsuccessful. He then returned the mixture control to full forward and tried starting again while pumping the throttle several more times, but the engine still did not start.
Shortly thereafter, the student pilot observed smoke coming from the engine cowling and alerted the flight instructor and passenger. The flight instructor performed the engine fire on start checklist, instructed everyone to evacuate, and went to the cargo door to retrieve the fire extinguisher. The passenger opened the engine cowling. When the flight instructor examined the fire extinguisher, she discovered it was empty. The flight instructor and passenger noted that the fire was located at the bottom of the engine around the carburetor and was intensifying.
The passenger left and obtained a fire extinguisher from the airport's fixed base operator. By the time he returned, the engine compartment was fully engulfed in flames. The fire was subsequently extinguished using portable extinguishers and assistance from the local fire department.
Post-Fire Examination
Examination of the airplane revealed substantial fire damage to the engine compartment, engine mounts, and firewall. The flight instructor reported that no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were observed that would have precluded normal operation.