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B737-300 flight crew responded to APU fire warning during climbout. Emergency was declared and flight returned for landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 753917 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200709 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 29000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 753917 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fire warning other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
While climbing through FL290 we received intermittent APU detect inoperative cautions; after about 15 seconds we began to receive intermittent APU fire indications with associated lights and warning bells. Performed qrc APU fire checklist; which concludes with 'land at nearest suitable airport.' due to position of aircraft at this time; along with cumulonimbus clouds ahead and south of us; we determined that ZZZ was the nearest suitable airport. Dispatch and maintenance contacted; they were in agreement with return to ZZZ plan. Emergency declared with ATC while asking for return vectors. No further warnings received. We believed this to be an indication problem only; due to the fact that the APU had not been running for about 30 mins. Fire trucks inspected aircraft after landing and determining that no smoke or fire was in evidence; we then canceled the emergency and taxied to the gate.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 FLT CREW RESPONDED TO APU FIRE WARNING DURING CLIMBOUT. EMER WAS DECLARED AND FLT RETURNED FOR LNDG.
Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH FL290 WE RECEIVED INTERMITTENT APU DETECT INOP CAUTIONS; AFTER ABOUT 15 SECONDS WE BEGAN TO RECEIVE INTERMITTENT APU FIRE INDICATIONS WITH ASSOCIATED LIGHTS AND WARNING BELLS. PERFORMED QRC APU FIRE CHKLIST; WHICH CONCLUDES WITH 'LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.' DUE TO POS OF ACFT AT THIS TIME; ALONG WITH CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS AHEAD AND S OF US; WE DETERMINED THAT ZZZ WAS THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. DISPATCH AND MAINT CONTACTED; THEY WERE IN AGREEMENT WITH RETURN TO ZZZ PLAN. EMER DECLARED WITH ATC WHILE ASKING FOR RETURN VECTORS. NO FURTHER WARNINGS RECEIVED. WE BELIEVED THIS TO BE AN INDICATION PROB ONLY; DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE APU HAD NOT BEEN RUNNING FOR ABOUT 30 MINS. FIRE TRUCKS INSPECTED ACFT AFTER LNDG AND DETERMINING THAT NO SMOKE OR FIRE WAS IN EVIDENCE; WE THEN CANCELED THE EMER AND TAXIED TO THE GATE.
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.