BE99 FO SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE FLAMES INSIDE THE COWLING OF #2 ENG.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER SHIFTING FROM BAKERSFIELD APCH TO ZLA ON A VFR FLT FROM MODESTO; CA; TO BURBANK; CA; AT 7500 FT MSL; THE FO RPTED SEEING FLAMES IN THE LOUVERS JUST AFT OF THE INBOARD ENG EXHAUST ON THE #2 ENG. I NOTED THE FIRE T- HANDLE WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON. I UNSTRAPPED AND VISUALLY CONFIRMED A BRIGHT YELLOW/ORANGE FLICKERING THROUGH THE LOUVERS. AFTER STRAPPING BACK IN; I ORDERED EXECUTION OF THE 'ENG FIRE INFLT' CHKLIST. ENG SHUT DOWN AND FEATHER WAS NORMAL. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE CHKLIST; THE FO RPTED THE FIRE STILL PRESENT. THIS WAS DISCONCERTING SINCE THE T-HANDLE (FIREWALL SHUTOFF VALVE) HAD BEEN PULLED AS PART OF THE CHKLIST. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARD THE NEAREST ARPT; GA FOX FIELD; AND WAS ON THE VERGE OF DECLARING AN EMER WITH ZLA WHEN THE FO SAID; 'WAIT A MIN; I SEE SOME TAPE FLUTTERING.' I ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM THAT HE SAW NO FLAMES; ONLY FLUTTERING TAPE. THIS HE DID. AT THIS POINT; WE REALIZED THAT THE CHANGE IN AIRFLOW CAUSED BY THE NOW FEATHERED PROP AND THE CHANGE IN THE ANGLE OF THE SUN AS A RESULT OF THE TURN TO FIX FIELD HAD REVEALED OUR ENG FIRE TO BE A RAPIDLY FLICKERING PIECE OF ORANGE SILICON TAPE. WE CONDUCTED AN AIR RESTART (CAREFULLY MONITORING THE INSTS; FIRE WARNING INDICATORS; AND LOUVERS). RESTART WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE RETURNED TO BURBANK UNEVENTFULLY. POSTFLT REVEALED A 3 INCH LENGTH OF LOOSE ORANGE TAPE DANGLING FROM AN ORANGE INSULATED LINE.