PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 127; Flight Crew Total 418; Flight Crew Type 378
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Aircraft; Human Factors
I was planning on taking my mother and brother to fly the New York Hudson SFRA. I had just completed the preflight checklist and before engine start checklist. This airplane is usually very difficult to start in the cold weather; and at the time of starting it was negative 5 degrees Celsius. I used cold starting procedures; primed it six times; which has worked for me before in this particular plane; and cranked the engine. After ten seconds of it not starting; I stopped cranking; and waited 20 seconds. I tried starting it again. Still no success. The third time; I thought perhaps it was flooded; so I used the flooded start checklist. I cranked and started smelling smoke and could see it clearly from the front of the left engine cowling. I initiated my emergency training; ensured the mixture was at idle cutoff; continued cranking the engine to suck out the fire; turned off the electrical equipment; and the fuel selector. I retrieved a fire extinguisher and put out the fire myself. I then called [airport] services.It is possible it could have been a result of over priming the engine. However I know other pilots who use similar methods during extremely cold weather; especially if the airplane as been sitting a long time; which ours was.
PA-28 Pilot reported an engine fire occurred while starting the engine in cold weather.