Air carrier large transport electrical fire at the blocks before departure. Aircraft evacuated.

Attributes
ACN	96957
Time
Date	198810
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1600
ASRS Report	96957
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Preflight checklist was completed. Called maintenance to come look at stabilizer trim light. The push to test assembly came apart. Fire started on center pedestal. Evacuated aircraft through forward entry door. Captain used one halon extinguisher to put out fire. I got another bottle from the cabin while telling flight attendants to evacuate aircraft. Crew coordination was essential and worked well. All 3 crew members had flown together numerous times. Maintenance was useless. They got off the aircraft when fire started. We removed all electrical power from the airplane but fire continued. No circuit breakers popped indicating an impending fire. No one was hurt. We did not leave the gate, so no NTSB report filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ELECTRICAL FIRE AT THE BLOCKS BEFORE DEP. ACFT EVACUATED.

Narrative: PREFLT CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. CALLED MAINT TO COME LOOK AT STAB TRIM LIGHT. THE PUSH TO TEST ASSEMBLY CAME APART. FIRE STARTED ON CENTER PEDESTAL. EVACUATED ACFT THROUGH FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. CAPT USED ONE HALON EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT FIRE. I GOT ANOTHER BOTTLE FROM THE CABIN WHILE TELLING FLT ATTENDANTS TO EVACUATE ACFT. CREW COORD WAS ESSENTIAL AND WORKED WELL. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS HAD FLOWN TOGETHER NUMEROUS TIMES. MAINT WAS USELESS. THEY GOT OFF THE ACFT WHEN FIRE STARTED. WE REMOVED ALL ELECTRICAL POWER FROM THE AIRPLANE BUT FIRE CONTINUED. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED INDICATING AN IMPENDING FIRE. NO ONE WAS HURT. WE DID NOT LEAVE THE GATE, SO NO NTSB RPT FILED.

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