An MD80 flight crew is informed by ground personnel that there is smoke and fire coming from the APU...

Attributes
ACN	633388
Time
Date	200410
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	633388
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	633390
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While parked at gate and talking to ground crew, before pushback, APU shut down without any indications. After it wound down, captain attempted to restart APU. The start hung at approximately 40%, at which point ground crew reported heavy smoke coming from outside rear of aircraft. This was followed by 'you have a serious fire' at which point we performed the QRH procedure for APU fire, which included discharging 1 fire bottle. No further action was required, end of event. Supplemental information from acn 633390: although we had no fire indication on the annunciator panel, we did have a very high egt, and with the man's ground warning I elected to discharge 1 fire bottle into the APU. Visual inspection revealed a lot of smoke residue just aft of the APU exhaust, however, no indications of a fire were present.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT CREW IS INFORMED BY GND PERSONNEL THAT THERE IS SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM THE APU. THE FLT CREW RAN THE QRH AND FIRED THE FIRE BOTTLE.

Narrative: WHILE PARKED AT GATE AND TALKING TO GND CREW, BEFORE PUSHBACK, APU SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY INDICATIONS. AFTER IT WOUND DOWN, CAPT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART APU. THE START HUNG AT APPROX 40%, AT WHICH POINT GND CREW RPTED HVY SMOKE COMING FROM OUTSIDE REAR OF ACFT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY 'YOU HAVE A SERIOUS FIRE' AT WHICH POINT WE PERFORMED THE QRH PROC FOR APU FIRE, WHICH INCLUDED DISCHARGING 1 FIRE BOTTLE. NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED, END OF EVENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 633390: ALTHOUGH WE HAD NO FIRE INDICATION ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL, WE DID HAVE A VERY HIGH EGT, AND WITH THE MAN'S GND WARNING I ELECTED TO DISCHARGE 1 FIRE BOTTLE INTO THE APU. VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED A LOT OF SMOKE RESIDUE JUST AFT OF THE APU EXHAUST, HOWEVER, NO INDICATIONS OF A FIRE WERE PRESENT.

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 MD80 flight crew is informed by ground personnel that there is smoke and fire coming from the APU. The flight crew ran the QRH and fired the fire bottle.