Cabin attendant report, B757, ord-mia. Engine fire on takeoff. Return to ord.

Attributes
ACN	456427
Time
Date	199911
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord.tower
State Reference	IL
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 6
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 2 flight attendant time total : 2 flight attendant time type : 30
ASRS Report	456427
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : off duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

The aircraft taxied for takeoff and all sounded fine until we started our takeoff. The engines didn't sound as if they were at full capacity. Once our wheels were off the ground, the aircraft made a loud popping noise and sounded as if the landing gear was having trouble. 2 passenger turned their call lights on and a deadheading flight attendant quickly responded and realized the right engine was on fire. The aft flight attendants advised the cockpit, and our aircraft soon headed back for ord. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that they were about 100 ft off the ground when she heard what she thought was the landing gear having trouble retracting. The 2 deadheading flight attendants saw the engine fire at the same time as the passenger. When notified of the engine fire, the captain did not tell them to prepare for an evacuate/evacuation, and they had a normal landing. They were met by in-flight supervisors, who were concerned of the emotional status of the cabin crew and the passenger and were later told that it was an engine backfire. They switched planes and continued on to their destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, ORD-MIA. ENG FIRE ON TKOF. RETURN TO ORD.

Narrative: THE ACFT TAXIED FOR TKOF AND ALL SOUNDED FINE UNTIL WE STARTED OUR TKOF. THE ENGS DIDN'T SOUND AS IF THEY WERE AT FULL CAPACITY. ONCE OUR WHEELS WERE OFF THE GND, THE ACFT MADE A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND SOUNDED AS IF THE LNDG GEAR WAS HAVING TROUBLE. 2 PAX TURNED THEIR CALL LIGHTS ON AND A DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANT QUICKLY RESPONDED AND REALIZED THE R ENG WAS ON FIRE. THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS ADVISED THE COCKPIT, AND OUR ACFT SOON HEADED BACK FOR ORD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY WERE ABOUT 100 FT OFF THE GND WHEN SHE HEARD WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS THE LNDG GEAR HAVING TROUBLE RETRACTING. THE 2 DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS SAW THE ENG FIRE AT THE SAME TIME AS THE PAX. WHEN NOTIFIED OF THE ENG FIRE, THE CAPT DID NOT TELL THEM TO PREPARE FOR AN EVAC, AND THEY HAD A NORMAL LNDG. THEY WERE MET BY INFLT SUPVRS, WHO WERE CONCERNED OF THE EMOTIONAL STATUS OF THE CABIN CREW AND THE PAX AND WERE LATER TOLD THAT IT WAS AN ENG BACKFIRE. THEY SWITCHED PLANES AND CONTINUED ON TO THEIR DEST.

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.