Please explain how "wet starting" his plane could have started a fire when the engine was pointed out over the deck towards the sea.
I am agreeing that THIS TIME, in THIS CONFIGURATION, McCain apparently could not have caused the fire in the other aircraft that lit off the Zuni.
It was his reputation for multiple incidents like that that WAS EARNED for starting such fires that caused the men on his ship to apparently have such disdain/hatred for him.
