Narrative:

The aircraft was in pvd for maintenance. At this time a fuel nozzle change was done on the #1 engine. The aircraft dead headed to bdl, and then with passenger went to jfk west/O incident. There is some confusion at this point, but I am led to believe that the captain did while in jfk report a suspected fuel leak from the #1 engine but was told by maintenance at that station that fuel leakage from the environment drain at the nacelle was normal after a nozzle change, and no further action was taken. Upon takeoff #1 engine fire alert activated. Engine was shutdown and fire warning was confirmed. Fire bottle was discharged and fire was extinguished. Aircraft returned to jfk and landed west/O further incident. Damage to #1 engine and nacelle was extensive. Upon investigation it was noted 3 fuel transfer tubes on one nozzle at 2 O'clock were improperly installed under the lock clip and worked out of the fuel nozzle boss allowing fuel to spray onto the engine and into the nacelle. It is my belief that the majority of fault was human ie, the mechanic who performed the work, the insp and maintenance at jfk for not following up and checking the nacelle interior for fuel and to some degree the captain for accepting their explanation, and failing to notify maintenance control of his suspicion. Also to an even greater degree engine mfr for poor design of the locking clip on the engine of which there are 4 modifications and the operator for failure to inform us that we were still using the older style that allowed improper assembly of fuel xfer tubes. To my knowledge, no corrective action had been taken yet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC REPORTS THAT AFTER MAINTENANCE THE ACFT HAD FIRE WARNING AFTER TKOF AND RETURNED FOR LNDG. DAMAGE TO NACELLE AND ENGINE BECAUSE OF FUEL LEAK AFTER INSTALLATION OF FUEL NOZZLE.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS IN PVD FOR MAINT. AT THIS TIME A FUEL NOZZLE CHANGE WAS DONE ON THE #1 ENG. THE ACFT DEAD HEADED TO BDL, AND THEN WITH PAX WENT TO JFK W/O INCIDENT. THERE IS SOME CONFUSION AT THIS POINT, BUT I AM LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE CAPT DID WHILE IN JFK RPT A SUSPECTED FUEL LEAK FROM THE #1 ENG BUT WAS TOLD BY MAINT AT THAT STATION THAT FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE ENVIRONMENT DRAIN AT THE NACELLE WAS NORMAL AFTER A NOZZLE CHANGE, AND NO FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN. UPON TKOF #1 ENG FIRE ALERT ACTIVATED. ENG WAS SHUTDOWN AND FIRE WARNING WAS CONFIRMED. FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED AND FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. ACFT RETURNED TO JFK AND LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. DAMAGE TO #1 ENG AND NACELLE WAS EXTENSIVE. UPON INVESTIGATION IT WAS NOTED 3 FUEL TRANSFER TUBES ON ONE NOZZLE AT 2 O'CLOCK WERE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED UNDER THE LOCK CLIP AND WORKED OUT OF THE FUEL NOZZLE BOSS ALLOWING FUEL TO SPRAY ONTO THE ENG AND INTO THE NACELLE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE MAJORITY OF FAULT WAS HUMAN IE, THE MECH WHO PERFORMED THE WORK, THE INSP AND MAINT AT JFK FOR NOT FOLLOWING UP AND CHKING THE NACELLE INTERIOR FOR FUEL AND TO SOME DEG THE CAPT FOR ACCEPTING THEIR EXPLANATION, AND FAILING TO NOTIFY MAINT CTL OF HIS SUSPICION. ALSO TO AN EVEN GREATER DEG ENG MFR FOR POOR DESIGN OF THE LOCKING CLIP ON THE ENG OF WHICH THERE ARE 4 MODIFICATIONS AND THE OPERATOR FOR FAILURE TO INFORM US THAT WE WERE STILL USING THE OLDER STYLE THAT ALLOWED IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF FUEL XFER TUBES. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO CORRECTIVE ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN YET.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.