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An MD80 captain reported an APU flameout while parked at the gate; and some of the emergency exit path lighting failed to illuminate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 756281 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200709 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| 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 : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 752281 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After parking the APU flamed out and power failed putting the passenger into darkness. I made a PA after switching the emergency power to on that everyone should stay seated and we would have the power back on momentarily. The standby lights were lit; but we had completed the parking checklist so the emergency exit lights were out. As ground power came up I went back to arm on the emergency exit lights switch and the power immediately failed again. The power was restored about 2 mins later and the forward entry door was open and passenger were deplaning. An FAA inspector told us the emergency path lighting in the cabin where he was sitting never illuminated and he didn't like it. We wrote up the emergency exit lighting system for maintenance to review and I think we did everything right; but it is obvious that a power failure after the parking checklist with passenger on board puts you in a bad situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 CAPT REPORTED AN APU FLAMEOUT WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE; AND SOME OF THE EMERGENCY EXIT PATH LIGHTING FAILED TO ILLUMINATE.
Narrative: AFTER PARKING THE APU FLAMED OUT AND PWR FAILED PUTTING THE PAX INTO DARKNESS. I MADE A PA AFTER SWITCHING THE EMER PWR TO ON THAT EVERYONE SHOULD STAY SEATED AND WE WOULD HAVE THE PWR BACK ON MOMENTARILY. THE STANDBY LIGHTS WERE LIT; BUT WE HAD COMPLETED THE PARKING CHKLIST SO THE EMER EXIT LIGHTS WERE OUT. AS GND PWR CAME UP I WENT BACK TO ARM ON THE EMER EXIT LIGHTS SWITCH AND THE PWR IMMEDIATELY FAILED AGAIN. THE PWR WAS RESTORED ABOUT 2 MINS LATER AND THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR WAS OPEN AND PAX WERE DEPLANING. AN FAA INSPECTOR TOLD US THE EMER PATH LIGHTING IN THE CABIN WHERE HE WAS SITTING NEVER ILLUMINATED AND HE DIDN'T LIKE IT. WE WROTE UP THE EMER EXIT LIGHTING SYS FOR MAINT TO REVIEW AND I THINK WE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT; BUT IT IS OBVIOUS THAT A PWR FAILURE AFTER THE PARKING CHKLIST WITH PAX ON BOARD PUTS YOU IN A BAD SITUATION.
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.