Narrative:

The flight, operating from jfk to clt, pushed back, started both engines normally and began taxiing. While waiting #3 in line to depart the exit from the ramp a veh approached from behind and left of the aircraft. A company ramp agent emerged waving his arms and pointing to the aft of the aircraft. The captain opened his side window. The ramp agent told him the APU was on fire. The captain moved the APU start switch to 'off.' (we had no abnormal indications or warnings at that time.) another ramp agent plugged a headset into the service interphone and told us the APU tailpipe was 'glowing red.' the captain asked if it was still on fire. The reply: 'the last time I looked it was.' (still no abnormal indications.) the captain directed me to 'put the flaps down.' the APU fire handle illuminated and the fire warning bell activated. The captain pulled the APU fire handle and rotated it. The fire handle remained illuminated, considering it may not have discharged the extinguisher he rotated the handle to the left. Again the fire handle remained illuminated. I transmitted to air carrier Y ramp control: 'company identify has an APU fire.' ramp response: 'I have already called the equipment.' the captain decided to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft and shut down both engines with start levers directing me to 'tell them we're evacuating.' as the captain made the passenger announcement to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft transmitted 'air carrier is evacuating.' the F/a's opened their respective doors automatically inflating the slides and began evacuating passenger. The overwing exits were not used. After completing the memory items on the checklist I exited the aircraft through the forward service door and began moving passenger standing on the right side of the aircraft to the forward left side. (I found passenger standing within 10-15' of the tail section watching as a fire team worked in the APU access.) I told the fire team the fire handle had remained illuminated after shooting the extinguisher bottle. The F/a's and I moved the passenger into a tighter group at the forward left side of the aircraft. They were later returned to the terminal where one was treated and released by paramedics in the gate area for 'finger cuts.' there were no other injuries or complaints of injury. There was no perceptible panic among crew members or passenger on the aircraft or on the ramp. Emergency equipment and assistance arrived very promptly, most likely due to an alert ramp control. (Fire fighters had already opened the APU access and were spraying extinguishant when I exited.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG APU FIRE LEAVING RAMP AREA. ACFT EVACUATED.

Narrative: THE FLT, OPERATING FROM JFK TO CLT, PUSHED BACK, STARTED BOTH ENGS NORMALLY AND BEGAN TAXIING. WHILE WAITING #3 IN LINE TO DEPART THE EXIT FROM THE RAMP A VEH APCHED FROM BEHIND AND LEFT OF THE ACFT. A COMPANY RAMP AGENT EMERGED WAVING HIS ARMS AND POINTING TO THE AFT OF THE ACFT. THE CAPT OPENED HIS SIDE WINDOW. THE RAMP AGENT TOLD HIM THE APU WAS ON FIRE. THE CAPT MOVED THE APU START SWITCH TO 'OFF.' (WE HAD NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS OR WARNINGS AT THAT TIME.) ANOTHER RAMP AGENT PLUGGED A HEADSET INTO THE SVC INTERPHONE AND TOLD US THE APU TAILPIPE WAS 'GLOWING RED.' THE CAPT ASKED IF IT WAS STILL ON FIRE. THE REPLY: 'THE LAST TIME I LOOKED IT WAS.' (STILL NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS.) THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO 'PUT THE FLAPS DOWN.' THE APU FIRE HANDLE ILLUMINATED AND THE FIRE WARNING BELL ACTIVATED. THE CAPT PULLED THE APU FIRE HANDLE AND ROTATED IT. THE FIRE HANDLE REMAINED ILLUMINATED, CONSIDERING IT MAY NOT HAVE DISCHARGED THE EXTINGUISHER HE ROTATED THE HANDLE TO THE LEFT. AGAIN THE FIRE HANDLE REMAINED ILLUMINATED. I XMITTED TO ACR Y RAMP CTL: 'COMPANY IDENT HAS AN APU FIRE.' RAMP RESPONSE: 'I HAVE ALREADY CALLED THE EQUIP.' THE CAPT DECIDED TO EVAC THE ACFT AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS WITH START LEVERS DIRECTING ME TO 'TELL THEM WE'RE EVACUATING.' AS THE CAPT MADE THE PAX ANNOUNCEMENT TO EVAC THE ACFT XMITTED 'ACR IS EVACUATING.' THE F/A'S OPENED THEIR RESPECTIVE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY INFLATING THE SLIDES AND BEGAN EVACUATING PAX. THE OVERWING EXITS WERE NOT USED. AFTER COMPLETING THE MEMORY ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST I EXITED THE ACFT THROUGH THE FORWARD SVC DOOR AND BEGAN MOVING PAX STANDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ACFT TO THE FORWARD LEFT SIDE. (I FOUND PAX STANDING WITHIN 10-15' OF THE TAIL SECTION WATCHING AS A FIRE TEAM WORKED IN THE APU ACCESS.) I TOLD THE FIRE TEAM THE FIRE HANDLE HAD REMAINED ILLUMINATED AFTER SHOOTING THE EXTINGUISHER BOTTLE. THE F/A'S AND I MOVED THE PAX INTO A TIGHTER GROUP AT THE FORWARD LEFT SIDE OF THE ACFT. THEY WERE LATER RETURNED TO THE TERMINAL WHERE ONE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED BY PARAMEDICS IN THE GATE AREA FOR 'FINGER CUTS.' THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES OR COMPLAINTS OF INJURY. THERE WAS NO PERCEPTIBLE PANIC AMONG CREW MEMBERS OR PAX ON THE ACFT OR ON THE RAMP. EMER EQUIP AND ASSISTANCE ARRIVED VERY PROMPTLY, MOST LIKELY DUE TO AN ALERT RAMP CONTROL. (FIRE FIGHTERS HAD ALREADY OPENED THE APU ACCESS AND WERE SPRAYING EXTINGUISHANT WHEN I EXITED.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.