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Air carrier large transport APU stack fire as the aircraft approached the gate. Aircraft evacuated on ramp short of the gate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 127376 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 127376 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 125 |
| ASRS Report | 127709 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approaching our assigned gate at seattle we received a stop signal from the marshaller. An equipment service employee ran to the left-hand side of the aircraft and indicated an APU fire (no cockpit indications) we completed the APU fire checklist and after 5-10 seconds ground personnel indicated the fire was out. (The fire was a stack fire only, not an uncontained fire.) passenger in cabin observed flames coming from APU exhaust and some panic developed. Aft stairs were lowered and engines shut down. Passenger deplaned via aft stairs and aircraft was towed to the gate. A difficult situation to prevent due to proximity of APU exhaust to cabin windows and nighttime operations. Supplemental information from acn 127709: I cranked the APU and did not get a light off. While calling the gate for external power, I secured the APU and directed my attention forward where the captain was opening the window to talk to a ground service person.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LGT APU STACK FIRE AS THE ACFT APCHED THE GATE. ACFT EVACUATED ON RAMP SHORT OF THE GATE.
Narrative: APCHING OUR ASSIGNED GATE AT SEATTLE WE RECEIVED A STOP SIGNAL FROM THE MARSHALLER. AN EQUIPMENT SERVICE EMPLOYEE RAN TO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE ACFT AND INDICATED AN APU FIRE (NO COCKPIT INDICATIONS) WE COMPLETED THE APU FIRE CHECKLIST AND AFTER 5-10 SECONDS GND PERSONNEL INDICATED THE FIRE WAS OUT. (THE FIRE WAS A STACK FIRE ONLY, NOT AN UNCONTAINED FIRE.) PAX IN CABIN OBSERVED FLAMES COMING FROM APU EXHAUST AND SOME PANIC DEVELOPED. AFT STAIRS WERE LOWERED AND ENGINES SHUT DOWN. PAX DEPLANED VIA AFT STAIRS AND ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE GATE. A DIFFICULT SITUATION TO PREVENT DUE TO PROX OF APU EXHAUST TO CABIN WINDOWS AND NIGHTTIME OPERATIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 127709: I CRANKED THE APU AND DID NOT GET A LIGHT OFF. WHILE CALLING THE GATE FOR EXTERNAL POWER, I SECURED THE APU AND DIRECTED MY ATTN FORWARD WHERE THE CAPT WAS OPENING THE WINDOW TO TALK TO A GND SERVICE PERSON.
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.