Narrative:

During descent to landing icing conditions were expected to continue to the runway. The pm started the APU to take over control of the ecs. The pm monitored the APU start and noticed a hung start. The pm manually stopped the APU start sequence. After waiting a few mins; the pm reattempted a start of the APU and was successful and normal. After xferring the bleeds to the APU; the pm and I noticed the presence of a fuel odor inside the flight deck area. Immediately after; we received a cabin call from the flight attendant inquiring about the smell. She was receiving the same smell and she said the passenger were also. The pm and the flight attendant hung up and at this time we were at approximately a 5 mi final. The pm shut the APU down and referenced the poh for the unpressurized landing checklist. After completion of the checklist; the smell went away. The pm then contacted tower to notify and request emergency equipment meet us on the ground and escort us to the gate. After landing; the pm took control of the aircraft and I completed the after landing checklist; leaving the APU off. The captain then instructed me to contact the flight attendant to ensure the cabin was in a suitable condition; which it was. I then made an announcement to the passenger to notify them of the situation. I then contacted maintenance to request them to meet us at the gate to inspect the aircraft. We then taxied to the gate without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS STRONG FUEL ODORS DURING APPROACH AFTER STARTING THE APU FOR AIRFRAME DEICING. APU IS SECURED AND FUMES GO AWAY.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT TO LNDG ICING CONDITIONS WERE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE RWY. THE PM STARTED THE APU TO TAKE OVER CTL OF THE ECS. THE PM MONITORED THE APU START AND NOTICED A HUNG START. THE PM MANUALLY STOPPED THE APU START SEQUENCE. AFTER WAITING A FEW MINS; THE PM REATTEMPTED A START OF THE APU AND WAS SUCCESSFUL AND NORMAL. AFTER XFERRING THE BLEEDS TO THE APU; THE PM AND I NOTICED THE PRESENCE OF A FUEL ODOR INSIDE THE FLT DECK AREA. IMMEDIATELY AFTER; WE RECEIVED A CABIN CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT INQUIRING ABOUT THE SMELL. SHE WAS RECEIVING THE SAME SMELL AND SHE SAID THE PAX WERE ALSO. THE PM AND THE FLT ATTENDANT HUNG UP AND AT THIS TIME WE WERE AT APPROX A 5 MI FINAL. THE PM SHUT THE APU DOWN AND REFED THE POH FOR THE UNPRESSURIZED LNDG CHKLIST. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE CHKLIST; THE SMELL WENT AWAY. THE PM THEN CONTACTED TWR TO NOTIFY AND REQUEST EMER EQUIP MEET US ON THE GND AND ESCORT US TO THE GATE. AFTER LNDG; THE PM TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND I COMPLETED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST; LEAVING THE APU OFF. THE CAPT THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THE FLT ATTENDANT TO ENSURE THE CABIN WAS IN A SUITABLE CONDITION; WHICH IT WAS. I THEN MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE SIT. I THEN CONTACTED MAINT TO REQUEST THEM TO MEET US AT THE GATE TO INSPECT THE ACFT. WE THEN TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.