What happened
On 8 September 2012, a DH89A Rapide Dragon, registration G-AIYR, was undergoing pre-flight preparations at Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire. The aircraft was being prepared for a commercial passenger flight carrying one crew member and seven passengers.
During the engine start sequence, the left engine was started first. Following the priming of the right engine, the second engine was subsequently started. Immediately after the right engine commenced operation, the pilot observed a flame emerging from the outboard portion of the right engine cowling. Fearing that the right wing had ignited, the pilot promptly shut down both engines.
Ground crew members acted quickly to assist, using handheld fire extinguishers to combat the flames. By the time the aerodrome fire service arrived at the scene, the fire had been extinguished. There were no injuries to the crew or the seven passengers, though the aircraft sustained fire damage to the inner section of the lower right mainplane and the outer section of the right stub wing.
The investigation
An investigation carried out by the aircraft operator examined the sequence of events and the mechanical state of the engines. The inquiry focused on the conditions present during the engine priming and start-up phase to determine why the flame appeared in the cowling area.