PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 46.7; Flight Crew Total 180.9; Flight Crew Type 12.6
Workload; Troubleshooting; Distraction; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft
So it was a normal flight starting at ZZZ1 flew to ZZZ2; ZZZ3; and then to ZZZ to drop off a friend really quick. I shut the engine down and let my friend out near the terminal side of ZZZ airport. I them attempted to start back up to head for ZZZ1. I turn the master switch on; mixture full; throttle a little opened; cranked the engine for 3 or 4 seconds. Plane didn't start; I thought it was a flooded engine so I did the flooded engine start. Pump off; mixture full out; and full throttle then I cranked again 3 or 4 seconds. It did not start I started to text my flight instructor to help me start the plane. In the middle I started smelling 100LL or the exhaust which got worse. I sniffed out the side of the plane started to smell plastic smoke and thought it was weird; looked out the front and started seeing smoke come from the engine. I did not think to start cranking the engine but I dropped everything and got out of the plane which where I saw a raging fire from the engine in which I grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the co pilot seat and tried to put it out but did not work so I sprinted to the terminal to get the airport manager in which he came out to help put the fire out. We assessed what happened. The battery didn't go out and the mags and master is off; we came to a conclusion that there was a battery short and there was a electrical fire but that was just me; the airport manager; a flight instructor and his student and  the fuel guy. I gave a report to airport ops and that has been sent in awaiting approval. I then called my flight instructor and told him what happened and I just waited by the plane till he got there. I left the planes battery running because I couldn't shut it down.
A General Aviation pilot reported an electrical fire erupted in the engine while on the ramp attempting to start.