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External battery cart catches fire. Company ground personnel remove it. Passenger not deplaned. Aircraft departs without external aircraft inspection.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 301988 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199504 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jax |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : pit |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 301988 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Before beginning engine start, the ground crew gave us the 'stop' signal. I opened the passenger door to see the ground crew running from behind the left wing to a distance of approximately 40-50 ft from the aircraft, pulling a smoking battery cart. I could see flame inside the battery cart. The ground crew left the battery cart to find a fire extinguisher. The cart was unattended. The captain briefed the passenger. We decided to not deplane the passenger because the cart was far enough from the aircraft that we felt they would be safer inside the plane. Also, the cart was unattended and was located on the same side as the passenger door. We did a successful battery start and completed the flight without incident. The battery indications were normal so we did not check the aircraft exterior before the flight. I feel that we should have, but did not think to at the time. The captain and I did the postflt inspection of the exterior and gpu plug. All appeared normal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EXTERNAL BATTERY CART CATCHES FIRE. CGP REMOVE IT. PAX NOT DEPLANED. ACFT DEPARTS WITHOUT EXTERNAL ACFT INSPECTION.
Narrative: BEFORE BEGINNING ENG START, THE GND CREW GAVE US THE 'STOP' SIGNAL. I OPENED THE PAX DOOR TO SEE THE GND CREW RUNNING FROM BEHIND THE L WING TO A DISTANCE OF APPROX 40-50 FT FROM THE ACFT, PULLING A SMOKING BATTERY CART. I COULD SEE FLAME INSIDE THE BATTERY CART. THE GND CREW LEFT THE BATTERY CART TO FIND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE CART WAS UNATTENDED. THE CAPT BRIEFED THE PAX. WE DECIDED TO NOT DEPLANE THE PAX BECAUSE THE CART WAS FAR ENOUGH FROM THE ACFT THAT WE FELT THEY WOULD BE SAFER INSIDE THE PLANE. ALSO, THE CART WAS UNATTENDED AND WAS LOCATED ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE PAX DOOR. WE DID A SUCCESSFUL BATTERY START AND COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE BATTERY INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL SO WE DID NOT CHK THE ACFT EXTERIOR BEFORE THE FLT. I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, BUT DID NOT THINK TO AT THE TIME. THE CAPT AND I DID THE POSTFLT INSPECTION OF THE EXTERIOR AND GPU PLUG. ALL APPEARED NORMAL.
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.