Definition
An in-flight or on-ground fire originating in or around the airplane's engine compartment, typically caused by a fuel or oil leak contacting hot engine surfaces, an induction system backfire during start, or an electrical short. An engine fire is a time-critical emergency requiring immediate action per the manufacturer's emergency checklist, which generally involves shutting off fuel to the engine, cutting electrical power, and landing as soon as possible.
Plain English
A fire in or near the engine. It is an emergency. The pilot follows the airplane's checklist to cut off fuel and electrical power to starve the fire, then lands as quickly as safely possible.
Context Anchor
Encountered in emergency checklists and training scenarios for engine start, takeoff, in-flight emergencies, and shutdown.
Why Pilots Care
Left unaddressed, an engine fire can destroy the engine, spread to other parts of the aircraft, or force an immediate forced landing.
Grounding Statement
Picture smoke, flames, or a strong burning smell coming from the engine area: the priority is to stop what is feeding the fire and land safely.
Intuition Check
Do not think of an engine fire as just an overheated engine. An engine fire means something is actually burning in or near the engine area, or there are strong signs that it may be.
Example Sentence 1
When the pilot saw smoke trailing from under the cowling, she identified it as a possible engine fire, shut off the fuel selector, and turned toward the nearest airport.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight engine start, smoke from the cowling indicated an engine fire, so the crew evacuated and discharged the ground fire bottle.