An L1011 is evacuate/evacuationed when local controller advises crew of fire at the rear of the airc...

Attributes
ACN	610006
Time
Date	200403
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lipa.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	L-1011 Tri-Star All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	610006
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 5&6 tower cfr
Resolutory Action	aircraft : evacuated controller : issued alert controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On taxi to parking after landing at avb (aviano air base, italy), tower said they saw possible flames at rear of aircraft. All engine indications were normal with no engine rundown noted. No fire warnings were annunciated. Flight engineer reported an aborted start on the APU. The aircraft was stopped on the taxiway adjacent the parking spot. Crash fire rescue equipment equipment was proceeding toward the aircraft. Another start was attempted on the APU and was unsuccessful. At the same time the tower reported crash fire rescue equipment personnel witnessed flames at the rear of the aircraft. They ordered us to evacuate/evacuation. We pulled the APU fire handle as a precaution. There were no cockpit annunciations of fire. Fire warning system test was satisfactory. We requested a stair truck which arrived immediately at the front left door. Passenger were advised to evacuate/evacuation in an orderly fashion through the front left door. All engines were shut down using approved procedures. All passenger and cabin crew left the aircraft without incident. Subsequent examination of the aircraft by crash fire rescue equipment and maintenance personnel revealed no evidence of fire. Conclusion: this was a torching APU tailpipe from a bad or hung start. We should not have tried to start it again, but it is common practice to attempt a relight of an aborted APU start and not contrary to procedure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN L1011 IS EVACED WHEN LCL CTLR ADVISES CREW OF FIRE AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT DURING AN ABORTED AND A SECOND ATTEMPT OF AN APU START ON THE RAMP AT LIPA, FO.

Narrative: ON TAXI TO PARKING AFTER LNDG AT AVB (AVIANO AIR BASE, ITALY), TWR SAID THEY SAW POSSIBLE FLAMES AT REAR OF ACFT. ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL WITH NO ENG RUNDOWN NOTED. NO FIRE WARNINGS WERE ANNUNCIATED. FE RPTED AN ABORTED START ON THE APU. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ON THE TXWY ADJACENT THE PARKING SPOT. CFR EQUIP WAS PROCEEDING TOWARD THE ACFT. ANOTHER START WAS ATTEMPTED ON THE APU AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THE SAME TIME THE TWR RPTED CFR PERSONNEL WITNESSED FLAMES AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT. THEY ORDERED US TO EVAC. WE PULLED THE APU FIRE HANDLE AS A PRECAUTION. THERE WERE NO COCKPIT ANNUNCIATIONS OF FIRE. FIRE WARNING SYS TEST WAS SATISFACTORY. WE REQUESTED A STAIR TRUCK WHICH ARRIVED IMMEDIATELY AT THE FRONT L DOOR. PAX WERE ADVISED TO EVAC IN AN ORDERLY FASHION THROUGH THE FRONT L DOOR. ALL ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN USING APPROVED PROCS. ALL PAX AND CABIN CREW LEFT THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENT EXAM OF THE ACFT BY CFR AND MAINT PERSONNEL REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE. CONCLUSION: THIS WAS A TORCHING APU TAILPIPE FROM A BAD OR HUNG START. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TRIED TO START IT AGAIN, BUT IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO ATTEMPT A RELIGHT OF AN ABORTED APU START AND NOT CONTRARY TO PROC.

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.

An L1011 is evacuate/evacuationed when local controller advises crew of fire at the rear of the aircraft during an aborted and a second attempt of an APU start on the ramp at lipa, first officer.