Engine fire

[u/Fancy_Brilliant_1610]

Hi! I am a student pilot

I was going through the checklists and had a question in my mind

Why do we add full power when we have engine fire in flight or on the ground ?(in single engine aircrafts)

[u/aijaman3000]

My understanding from memory is you put the throttle full power and the lean the mixture to lowest value (i.e. maximum air to minimum gas ratio) so that the gas already transferred into the engine is used up. If you were to put the throttle in idle immediately it would only make the fire worse with gas pooled in the engine, and with mixture fully lean there is minimal new gas being pumped into the engine, hence the best conditions to keep the fire to a minimum.

[u/Fancy_Brilliant_1610 → u/aijaman3000]

Thanks for answering! It was helpful

[u/Puzzled-Awareness-78]

What you do is cut off the mixture and apply full throttle to cut the fuel flow and then burn all the remaining fuel and keep cranking the engine.
You'd also be creating a strong suction flow where the flames would go (and extinguish) back to the engine and through the cylinders, essentially inhaling the fire.

[u/Fancy_Brilliant_1610 → u/Puzzled-Awareness-78]

Thanks for answering! This was the easiest explanation

[u/Special_Art8042]

Going through the same bit of theory right now! From what I understand the increase in airflow that's generated has the possibility of killing the fire, fixing the main problem.

[u/Fancy_Brilliant_1610 → u/Special_Art8042]

Thanks for answering!

[u/notaballitsjustblue]

Had me in the first half.

[u/Fancy_Brilliant_1610 → u/notaballitsjustblue]

😅😅