Narrative:

Air carrier flight xyz scheduled bos-ewr. Air return to bos due to en route WX and inability to get through or around severe thunderstorms. After landing in bos and during taxi-in noticed left outboard brake temperature warmer than other three. As we approached ramp we notified maintenance that we had potential hot brake. Temperature now about 200 degrees C. After shutting down at gate, left brake overheated. Called for crash fire rescue equipment who responded by monitoring brake. I observed brake and wheel assembly smoking and when fuse plugs melted tire went flat. After completing paperwork I returned to aircraft and observed crash fire rescue equipment gone, and brake cool enough that I could put my hands close to it. (About 15 mins?) brake was no longer smoking and cockpit temperature was under 200 degrees. Apparently about 45 mins later some grease on the brake or bearing ignited starting a small fire which was extinguished by ramp personnel. The point of this narrative is just because brake had cooled doesn't mean something else can't heat up and go on fire. Also crash fire rescue equipment should have left a truck to monitor brake longer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING MLG ACFT AFTER PARKING AT A GATE HAD THE L OUTBOARD BRAKE OVERHEAT CAUSING FUSE PLUGS TO MELT AND AXLE AND BEARING GREASE TO IGNITE.

Narrative: ACR FLT XYZ SCHEDULED BOS-EWR. AIR RETURN TO BOS DUE TO ENRTE WX AND INABILITY TO GET THROUGH OR AROUND SEVERE TSTMS. AFTER LNDG IN BOS AND DURING TAXI-IN NOTICED L OUTBOARD BRAKE TEMP WARMER THAN OTHER THREE. AS WE APCHED RAMP WE NOTIFIED MAINT THAT WE HAD POTENTIAL HOT BRAKE. TEMP NOW ABOUT 200 DEGS C. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AT GATE, L BRAKE OVERHEATED. CALLED FOR CFR WHO RESPONDED BY MONITORING BRAKE. I OBSERVED BRAKE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY SMOKING AND WHEN FUSE PLUGS MELTED TIRE WENT FLAT. AFTER COMPLETING PAPERWORK I RETURNED TO ACFT AND OBSERVED CFR GONE, AND BRAKE COOL ENOUGH THAT I COULD PUT MY HANDS CLOSE TO IT. (ABOUT 15 MINS?) BRAKE WAS NO LONGER SMOKING AND COCKPIT TEMP WAS UNDER 200 DEGS. APPARENTLY ABOUT 45 MINS LATER SOME GREASE ON THE BRAKE OR BEARING IGNITED STARTING A SMALL FIRE WHICH WAS EXTINGUISHED BY RAMP PERSONNEL. THE POINT OF THIS NARRATIVE IS JUST BECAUSE BRAKE HAD COOLED DOESN'T MEAN SOMETHING ELSE CAN'T HEAT UP AND GO ON FIRE. ALSO CFR SHOULD HAVE LEFT A TRUCK TO MONITOR BRAKE LONGER.

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.