Narrative:

While awaiting pushback at the gate, with all passenger aboard, the flight crew noticed a deicing truck which was parked outboard of the right wing, exhausting an unusual amount of smoke. Further observation revealed that it was possibly on fire. I directed the first officer to call ground control so that the firefighting equipment could be dispatched to our location, and had him also notify the local air operations personnel. I made a PA to the passenger on board our flight advising them of the situation and the fact that firefighting personnel would soon be visible on the ramp beside our aircraft. I directed everyone to remain seated, and advised them that we were monitoring the situation and that we would advise them if any action needed to be taken on our part (eg, passenger evacuate/evacuation) in the near future. The fire department responded in approximately 3 mins from our initial call, and quickly extinguished the fire. After the area was secured and the incident truck towed from the area, another truck was procured, the aircraft was deiced, and the flight taxied out and took off without further incident. Passenger remained calm and busied themselves with work in the cabin, while flight crew and gate agents made periodic announcements in the cabin keeping everyone informed and on top of the situation. At no time was the aircraft safety and security in question, and the extent of the activity outside of the aircraft was comprised solely of a voluminous amount of smoke driven by gusty surface winds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW SAW A DEICE TRUCK, PARKED AT A GATE AREA, THAT WAS ON FIRE. CREW REQUESTED CFR.

Narrative: WHILE AWAITING PUSHBACK AT THE GATE, WITH ALL PAX ABOARD, THE FLT CREW NOTICED A DEICING TRUCK WHICH WAS PARKED OUTBOARD OF THE R WING, EXHAUSTING AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF SMOKE. FURTHER OBSERVATION REVEALED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY ON FIRE. I DIRECTED THE FO TO CALL GND CTL SO THAT THE FIREFIGHTING EQUIP COULD BE DISPATCHED TO OUR LOCATION, AND HAD HIM ALSO NOTIFY THE LCL AIR OPS PERSONNEL. I MADE A PA TO THE PAX ON BOARD OUR FLT ADVISING THEM OF THE SIT AND THE FACT THAT FIREFIGHTING PERSONNEL WOULD SOON BE VISIBLE ON THE RAMP BESIDE OUR ACFT. I DIRECTED EVERYONE TO REMAIN SEATED, AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE MONITORING THE SIT AND THAT WE WOULD ADVISE THEM IF ANY ACTION NEEDED TO BE TAKEN ON OUR PART (EG, PAX EVAC) IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE FIRE DEPT RESPONDED IN APPROX 3 MINS FROM OUR INITIAL CALL, AND QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. AFTER THE AREA WAS SECURED AND THE INCIDENT TRUCK TOWED FROM THE AREA, ANOTHER TRUCK WAS PROCURED, THE ACFT WAS DEICED, AND THE FLT TAXIED OUT AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PAX REMAINED CALM AND BUSIED THEMSELVES WITH WORK IN THE CABIN, WHILE FLT CREW AND GATE AGENTS MADE PERIODIC ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE CABIN KEEPING EVERYONE INFORMED AND ON TOP OF THE SIT. AT NO TIME WAS THE ACFT SAFETY AND SECURITY IN QUESTION, AND THE EXTENT OF THE ACTIVITY OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT WAS COMPRISED SOLELY OF A VOLUMINOUS AMOUNT OF SMOKE DRIVEN BY GUSTY SURFACE WINDS.

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.