Narrative:

After starting both engines at a 'taxi-away' gate using external power/air because our APU was inoperative, the pneumatic air start truck parked 10 ft ahead of our left wing caught fire (overheated) and erupted in flames and heavy smoke. As the gate is a taxi-away gate, no tug nor tow bar was attached to our aircraft, so no pushback was possible. Ground support equipment (including the 1 flaming) blocked the taxi- away. The first officer called for the fire trucks and because the burning truck was very close to our aircraft (the left wing contained 9000 pounds of fuel), I elected to power back to put distance between us and the trouble. I did this with the coordination of a mechanic who quickly realized the only solution as I did and watched for conflicting traffic on the power back. It was a chinese firedrill on the ramp with people scurrying around trying to put out the fire, etc. I was not totally comfortable with pwring back because of the danger to people/equipment/etc, but it was the only choice. Once backed up and clear of the problem by 75 ft, I taxied away from the gate area to stabilize the situation. After a passenger announcement, which seemed to calm what had been almost a panic-stricken passenger complement, we proceeded onto the destination without further event. I write this report because the station where this occurred does not permit power backs (which we did) and the event itself lacked the coordination I would like to have seen under normal circumstances. Throughout it all (moving backwards), I was very concerned for the safety of those on the ground concerned with trying to extinguish the blaze. No one was hurt or injured thankfully, just a burned up pneumatic truck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PNEUMATIC GND UNIT CAUGHT FIRE ADJACENT TO ACFT WING. CAPT ELECTED TO PWR BACK AWAY FROM THE FIRE HAZARD.

Narrative: AFTER STARTING BOTH ENGS AT A 'TAXI-AWAY' GATE USING EXTERNAL PWR/AIR BECAUSE OUR APU WAS INOP, THE PNEUMATIC AIR START TRUCK PARKED 10 FT AHEAD OF OUR L WING CAUGHT FIRE (OVERHEATED) AND ERUPTED IN FLAMES AND HVY SMOKE. AS THE GATE IS A TAXI-AWAY GATE, NO TUG NOR TOW BAR WAS ATTACHED TO OUR ACFT, SO NO PUSHBACK WAS POSSIBLE. GND SUPPORT EQUIP (INCLUDING THE 1 FLAMING) BLOCKED THE TAXI- AWAY. THE FO CALLED FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS AND BECAUSE THE BURNING TRUCK WAS VERY CLOSE TO OUR ACFT (THE L WING CONTAINED 9000 POUNDS OF FUEL), I ELECTED TO PWR BACK TO PUT DISTANCE BTWN US AND THE TROUBLE. I DID THIS WITH THE COORD OF A MECH WHO QUICKLY REALIZED THE ONLY SOLUTION AS I DID AND WATCHED FOR CONFLICTING TFC ON THE PWR BACK. IT WAS A CHINESE FIREDRILL ON THE RAMP WITH PEOPLE SCURRYING AROUND TRYING TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, ETC. I WAS NOT TOTALLY COMFORTABLE WITH PWRING BACK BECAUSE OF THE DANGER TO PEOPLE/EQUIP/ETC, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY CHOICE. ONCE BACKED UP AND CLR OF THE PROBLEM BY 75 FT, I TAXIED AWAY FROM THE GATE AREA TO STABILIZE THE SITUATION. AFTER A PAX ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH SEEMED TO CALM WHAT HAD BEEN ALMOST A PANIC-STRICKEN PAX COMPLEMENT, WE PROCEEDED ONTO THE DEST WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. I WRITE THIS RPT BECAUSE THE STATION WHERE THIS OCCURRED DOES NOT PERMIT PWR BACKS (WHICH WE DID) AND THE EVENT ITSELF LACKED THE COORD I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THROUGHOUT IT ALL (MOVING BACKWARDS), I WAS VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE ON THE GND CONCERNED WITH TRYING TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE. NO ONE WAS HURT OR INJURED THANKFULLY, JUST A BURNED UP PNEUMATIC TRUCK.

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.