Narrative:

I was the PF. During takeoff roll, prior to V1 at about 95 KTS, the engine #4 fire alarm came on. I initiated an abort and first officer told ATC of the abort and requested fire trucks. There was no abnormal noise or pulling of the aircraft and all engine parameters indicated normal. With moderate braking, we were slowed abeam taxiway A4, so I made an expeditious turn off the runway while the first officer performed memory items to shut down the engine and blow fire bottle #1. We parked on taxiway a and could see no smoke. Over the PA, I ordered the flight attendants to 'stand by.' we asked ATC if they could see any smoke and they said no. 30 seconds after blowing first fire bottle, the fire light was still on so we blew the second fire bottle into the engine. I also called forward flight attendant and asked her if she saw any smoke or fire around the right engines. She said no, but that she and several passenger smelled a slight electrical smoke and saw a bit of haze in the cabin. The haze and smell appeared to be dissipating, however, fire trucks arrived at this time and inspected the #4 engine. They found no indication of fire. We taxied back to the gate and requested 2 fire trucks to follow us just in case. Passenger deplaned via jetway with no further incident. Later the mechanics found that the fuel manifold on the #4 engine had broken and one of the fuel nozzles had come loose. The loose nozzle sprayed fuel around causing the fire. The fire light did extinguish about 30 seconds to a min after the second bottle was discharged. The flight attendants appreciated being told to stand by while we were busy with the initial securing of the engine. That gave them confidence that we were dealing with the situation and helped us avoid an unnecessary emergency evacuate/evacuation. In initially parking the aircraft, I was concerned with parking and securing the engine as soon as possible and did not consider the light wind blowing (250 degrees at 10 KTS). Once the engine was secure and prior to fire trucks arriving, I turned the aircraft around so as to place the #4 engine downwind in case any smoke should appear and hamper an evacuate/evacuation or speed the spread of fire. I wish I'd considered any wind effects more thoroughly in my initial parking choice. Supplemental information from acn 612421: the fire fighter had us shut down engine #3 and they looked inside the #4 engine for a fire. They saw none. After we parked at the gate, the fire fighters and our mechanics took another took at it and still didn't see a fire. The fire fighters then left and the mechanics took the plane to the hangar and had a closer look. They then discovered that the fuel manifold on engine #4 had broken and one of the fuel nozzles came loose.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ABORTED TKOF PERFORMED BY THE FLT CREW OF A BA46 AFTER A FIRE WARNING IS NOTED FOR #4 ENG AT MSP, MN.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF. DURING TKOF ROLL, PRIOR TO V1 AT ABOUT 95 KTS, THE ENG #4 FIRE ALARM CAME ON. I INITIATED AN ABORT AND FO TOLD ATC OF THE ABORT AND REQUESTED FIRE TRUCKS. THERE WAS NO ABNORMAL NOISE OR PULLING OF THE ACFT AND ALL ENG PARAMETERS INDICATED NORMAL. WITH MODERATE BRAKING, WE WERE SLOWED ABEAM TXWY A4, SO I MADE AN EXPEDITIOUS TURN OFF THE RWY WHILE THE FO PERFORMED MEMORY ITEMS TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND BLOW FIRE BOTTLE #1. WE PARKED ON TXWY A AND COULD SEE NO SMOKE. OVER THE PA, I ORDERED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO 'STAND BY.' WE ASKED ATC IF THEY COULD SEE ANY SMOKE AND THEY SAID NO. 30 SECONDS AFTER BLOWING FIRST FIRE BOTTLE, THE FIRE LIGHT WAS STILL ON SO WE BLEW THE SECOND FIRE BOTTLE INTO THE ENG. I ALSO CALLED FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED HER IF SHE SAW ANY SMOKE OR FIRE AROUND THE R ENGS. SHE SAID NO, BUT THAT SHE AND SEVERAL PAX SMELLED A SLIGHT ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND SAW A BIT OF HAZE IN THE CABIN. THE HAZE AND SMELL APPEARED TO BE DISSIPATING, HOWEVER, FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED AT THIS TIME AND INSPECTED THE #4 ENG. THEY FOUND NO INDICATION OF FIRE. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND REQUESTED 2 FIRE TRUCKS TO FOLLOW US JUST IN CASE. PAX DEPLANED VIA JETWAY WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. LATER THE MECHS FOUND THAT THE FUEL MANIFOLD ON THE #4 ENG HAD BROKEN AND ONE OF THE FUEL NOZZLES HAD COME LOOSE. THE LOOSE NOZZLE SPRAYED FUEL AROUND CAUSING THE FIRE. THE FIRE LIGHT DID EXTINGUISH ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MIN AFTER THE SECOND BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS APPRECIATED BEING TOLD TO STAND BY WHILE WE WERE BUSY WITH THE INITIAL SECURING OF THE ENG. THAT GAVE THEM CONFIDENCE THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH THE SIT AND HELPED US AVOID AN UNNECESSARY EMER EVAC. IN INITIALLY PARKING THE ACFT, I WAS CONCERNED WITH PARKING AND SECURING THE ENG ASAP AND DID NOT CONSIDER THE LIGHT WIND BLOWING (250 DEGS AT 10 KTS). ONCE THE ENG WAS SECURE AND PRIOR TO FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVING, I TURNED THE ACFT AROUND SO AS TO PLACE THE #4 ENG DOWNWIND IN CASE ANY SMOKE SHOULD APPEAR AND HAMPER AN EVAC OR SPD THE SPREAD OF FIRE. I WISH I'D CONSIDERED ANY WIND EFFECTS MORE THOROUGHLY IN MY INITIAL PARKING CHOICE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 612421: THE FIRE FIGHTER HAD US SHUT DOWN ENG #3 AND THEY LOOKED INSIDE THE #4 ENG FOR A FIRE. THEY SAW NONE. AFTER WE PARKED AT THE GATE, THE FIRE FIGHTERS AND OUR MECHS TOOK ANOTHER TOOK AT IT AND STILL DIDN'T SEE A FIRE. THE FIRE FIGHTERS THEN LEFT AND THE MECHS TOOK THE PLANE TO THE HANGAR AND HAD A CLOSER LOOK. THEY THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL MANIFOLD ON ENG #4 HAD BROKEN AND ONE OF THE FUEL NOZZLES CAME LOOSE.

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.