Narrative:

Logbook and flight plan showed the #5 and #8 brakes were disconnected and after takeoff the MEL required you to leave the gear down for at least 1 min. On taxi out just prior to getting to the active runway 17, I noticed it seemed to take excessive power to taxi. But because the taxi ramp was uphill, I thought that to be the cause. I decided to check brake temperatures at that time. Noticed the #5 brake temperature read 80 degrees C while the other temperatures showed a normal temperature of 35 degrees C. Decided to come back to the gate and have the brake looked at thinking it was a possible false indication with the brake disconnected. Was cleared by tower to taxi down the runway to first high speed and exit. As we turned off the active the brake temperature read 700 degrees C. Decided to situation on taxiway and cool down brakes. Also notified ground control of the problem. Tower called and said the left gear was on fire. We ran the evacuate/evacuation checklist and evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft. Evacuate/evacuation went smoothly with no major injuries. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had not received any feedback on the brake fire, but suspected it may have been a bearing overheating with the brake disconnected. The brake assemblies are numbered thus: left front #1 and #2, right front #3 and #4, left rear #5 and #6, right rear, #7 and #8. Thus, brakes #5 and #8 were the outboard rear brakes of the left and right trucks. Reporter first officer didn't know if the brakes being disconnected had a direct effect on causing the fire. The brakes were properly disconnected and deferred accordingly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 ACFT TAXIING AT FOREIGN ARPT WITH #5 AND #8 BRAKES DISCONNECTED, RPTR FLC NOTED TEMP ON #5 BRAKE READING HIGH. TAXIING BACK TO THE GATE, THE TEMP PEGGED ON THE ECAM AT 700 DEGS C. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, TWR NOTIFIED FLC THAT THEY HAD A BRAKE FIRE ON THE L GEAR. EVAC WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT ANY MAJOR INJURIES.

Narrative: LOGBOOK AND FLT PLAN SHOWED THE #5 AND #8 BRAKES WERE DISCONNECTED AND AFTER TKOF THE MEL REQUIRED YOU TO LEAVE THE GEAR DOWN FOR AT LEAST 1 MIN. ON TAXI OUT JUST PRIOR TO GETTING TO THE ACTIVE RWY 17, I NOTICED IT SEEMED TO TAKE EXCESSIVE PWR TO TAXI. BUT BECAUSE THE TAXI RAMP WAS UPHILL, I THOUGHT THAT TO BE THE CAUSE. I DECIDED TO CHK BRAKE TEMPS AT THAT TIME. NOTICED THE #5 BRAKE TEMP READ 80 DEGS C WHILE THE OTHER TEMPS SHOWED A NORMAL TEMP OF 35 DEGS C. DECIDED TO COME BACK TO THE GATE AND HAVE THE BRAKE LOOKED AT THINKING IT WAS A POSSIBLE FALSE INDICATION WITH THE BRAKE DISCONNECTED. WAS CLRED BY TWR TO TAXI DOWN THE RWY TO FIRST HIGH SPD AND EXIT. AS WE TURNED OFF THE ACTIVE THE BRAKE TEMP READ 700 DEGS C. DECIDED TO SIT ON TXWY AND COOL DOWN BRAKES. ALSO NOTIFIED GND CTL OF THE PROB. TWR CALLED AND SAID THE L GEAR WAS ON FIRE. WE RAN THE EVAC CHKLIST AND EVACED THE ACFT. EVAC WENT SMOOTHLY WITH NO MAJOR INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY FEEDBACK ON THE BRAKE FIRE, BUT SUSPECTED IT MAY HAVE BEEN A BEARING OVERHEATING WITH THE BRAKE DISCONNECTED. THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES ARE NUMBERED THUS: L FRONT #1 AND #2, R FRONT #3 AND #4, L REAR #5 AND #6, R REAR, #7 AND #8. THUS, BRAKES #5 AND #8 WERE THE OUTBOARD REAR BRAKES OF THE L AND R TRUCKS. RPTR FO DIDN'T KNOW IF THE BRAKES BEING DISCONNECTED HAD A DIRECT EFFECT ON CAUSING THE FIRE. THE BRAKES WERE PROPERLY DISCONNECTED AND DEFERRED ACCORDINGLY.

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.