Narrative:

Upon pushback and clearance from our ground crew to taxi, the ground crew informed us of white smoke from our right wing/wheel well area which was confirmed by our first officer. Immediate shutdown of APU was accomplished. After normal engine indication was confirmed, the ground crew informed us the smoke was dissipating. Our station manager, upon first signs of smoke, called for fire/rescue team. With the presence of fire/rescue and no further signs of smoke, we shut down the engines and were towed back to gate and clear of the taxiway. After inspection, it was discovered that the flap actuator had blown a seal and hydraulic fluid was spraying on the hot APU exhaust manifold. The quick communication of smoke by the ground crew to the flight crew enabled a timely shutdown of APU and arrested any possibility of the smoke escalating into a fire hazard. The heads-up call for the fire/rescue by the station manager provided needed safety backup had the situation deteriorated. This was a good case of a bad situation, through effective communication, proper application of procedures, and rapid assessment of impending catastrophe, was prevented to become an incident or a statistic. Credit should be given to the professionalism exhibited and the fine training that was obviously received by each individual from their company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED FOR LGT'S ACFT EQUIP PROB IN RAMP OP PUSHBACK RAMP DEP PROC.

Narrative: UPON PUSHBACK AND CLRNC FROM OUR GND CREW TO TAXI, THE GND CREW INFORMED US OF WHITE SMOKE FROM OUR R WING/WHEEL WELL AREA WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY OUR FO. IMMEDIATE SHUTDOWN OF APU WAS ACCOMPLISHED. AFTER NORMAL ENG INDICATION WAS CONFIRMED, THE GND CREW INFORMED US THE SMOKE WAS DISSIPATING. OUR STATION MGR, UPON FIRST SIGNS OF SMOKE, CALLED FOR FIRE/RESCUE TEAM. WITH THE PRESENCE OF FIRE/RESCUE AND NO FURTHER SIGNS OF SMOKE, WE SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND WERE TOWED BACK TO GATE AND CLR OF THE TXWY. AFTER INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FLAP ACTUATOR HAD BLOWN A SEAL AND HYD FLUID WAS SPRAYING ON THE HOT APU EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE QUICK COM OF SMOKE BY THE GND CREW TO THE FLC ENABLED A TIMELY SHUTDOWN OF APU AND ARRESTED ANY POSSIBILITY OF THE SMOKE ESCALATING INTO A FIRE HAZARD. THE HEADS-UP CALL FOR THE FIRE/RESCUE BY THE STATION MGR PROVIDED NEEDED SAFETY BACKUP HAD THE SIT DETERIORATED. THIS WAS A GOOD CASE OF A BAD SIT, THROUGH EFFECTIVE COM, PROPER APPLICATION OF PROCS, AND RAPID ASSESSMENT OF IMPENDING CATASTROPHE, WAS PREVENTED TO BECOME AN INCIDENT OR A STATISTIC. CREDIT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE PROFESSIONALISM EXHIBITED AND THE FINE TRAINING THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY RECEIVED BY EACH INDIVIDUAL FROM THEIR COMPANY.

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.