I had an engine fire in a Bell 212 when I was working in the Middle East.
I had just departed a refuelling stop, single pilot, in the Zakum field and levelled at 2500 ft on my way to a detached rig when I heard a thump from the back end, followed by an engine chip warning for the No 1 engine. On looking at the instruments for No 1, I saw the ITT indicating around 1200 degrees. I turned back towards Abu Dhabi, and transmitted a Pan call. I closed the throttle, and as I watched the ITT fall by about 150 degrees, the No 1 Fire warning came on. I operated the the Fire Suppression system for No 1 engine and started the stopwatch. I watched 30 seconds on the clock, and with the warning still illuminated, I fired the second bottle.
A minute later, as the fire warning was still illuminated, I transmitted a Mayday call and ditched in Zakum field, about 5 miles south of Zakum west. I had 6 pax on board at the time.
By the time we had landed in the water, the fire had just gone out and the engine was still smoking, with a large hole on the top decking above the engine. It turned out that the free turbine had exploded and trashed the back of the engine plus the cowling above it. In fact, when I later saw the free turbine blade, it resembled an old circular saw blade.
Now some might say I should have waited a little longer to see if the fire had indeed been extinguished, but at the time, at 2500 ft, with a confirmed instrument indications of an engine fire and when you have followed the FRC's, I know I did the correct thing. After all, I am still here, at the end of my flying career, to talk about it. Incidentally, the aircraft was recovered and rebuilt and I did he initial ground runs on it six months later before it returned to service.
A few years later I converted onto the S61 and I, too, have carried out the simulation of the S61 fire in Bournemouth, complete with a smoke generator in the simulator to add a little realism - Thank you, Keith. Makes you think!!
