A B777 pilot reports an APU fire subsequently extinguished by the fire bottle.

Attributes
ACN	750341
Time
Date	200708
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 244 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	7
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	750343
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fire warning
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Pushback; towbar; and interphone disconnect normal. During engine start; APU shut itself down; accompanied by clacking sound; as if a hard xfer of electrical power to idg had occurred. Engines spooled up normally. EICAS message: APU shutdown; status messages: APU; APU control. Following flight manual/ecl guidance; APU was restarted. During APU restart; pushback crew began to wave and point toward the tail of the aircraft. Simultaneously; another aircraft called on ramp control frequency to advise we had smoke and flames coming from tail of aircraft. I observed that APU seemed to be 'hung' at 29% RPM and 900 degrees C egt. I moved APU switch to off. The adjacent aircraft again reported smoke and flames from tail area. Ground crew continued to wave and point. First officer inquired if he should pull APU fire handle. I concurred. First officer pulled fire handle and discharged fire bottle. Adjacent aircraft then reported flames extinguished. Aircraft was then taxied back into gate for maintenance attention. While waiting for maintenance inspections; APU oil quantity status message appeared. This was not addressed; since APU was to be deferred. Maintenance found no evidence of damage in APU area; or evidence of smoke/fire in east&east compartment. Flight was subsequently dispatched with APU inoperative. Completion of flight uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 PILOT REPORTS AN APU FIRE SUBSEQUENTLY EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE BOTTLE.

Narrative: PUSHBACK; TOWBAR; AND INTERPHONE DISCONNECT NORMAL. DURING ENG START; APU SHUT ITSELF DOWN; ACCOMPANIED BY CLACKING SOUND; AS IF A HARD XFER OF ELECTRICAL PWR TO IDG HAD OCCURRED. ENGS SPOOLED UP NORMALLY. EICAS MESSAGE: APU SHUTDOWN; STATUS MESSAGES: APU; APU CTL. FOLLOWING FLT MANUAL/ECL GUIDANCE; APU WAS RESTARTED. DURING APU RESTART; PUSHBACK CREW BEGAN TO WAVE AND POINT TOWARD THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. SIMULTANEOUSLY; ANOTHER ACFT CALLED ON RAMP CTL FREQ TO ADVISE WE HAD SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM TAIL OF ACFT. I OBSERVED THAT APU SEEMED TO BE 'HUNG' AT 29% RPM AND 900 DEGS C EGT. I MOVED APU SWITCH TO OFF. THE ADJACENT ACFT AGAIN RPTED SMOKE AND FLAMES FROM TAIL AREA. GND CREW CONTINUED TO WAVE AND POINT. FO INQUIRED IF HE SHOULD PULL APU FIRE HANDLE. I CONCURRED. FO PULLED FIRE HANDLE AND DISCHARGED FIRE BOTTLE. ADJACENT ACFT THEN RPTED FLAMES EXTINGUISHED. ACFT WAS THEN TAXIED BACK INTO GATE FOR MAINT ATTN. WHILE WAITING FOR MAINT INSPECTIONS; APU OIL QUANTITY STATUS MESSAGE APPEARED. THIS WAS NOT ADDRESSED; SINCE APU WAS TO BE DEFERRED. MAINT FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE IN APU AREA; OR EVIDENCE OF SMOKE/FIRE IN E&E COMPARTMENT. FLT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DISPATCHED WITH APU INOP. COMPLETION OF FLT UNEVENTFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.