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Air carrier medium large transport APU fire light came on at FL310 shortly after APU shut down. Emergency declared diverted to alternate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 123060 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198909 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : crl |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 123060 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 |
| ASRS Report | 123045 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At 31,000' the APU switch was selected to the off position. The APU gen available blue light flickered on/off a dozen times then the APU overspd light illuminated and the APU gen available blue light went out. 3 mins later the APU fire bell and light illuminated, we then pulled the fire handle on the APU and fired the extinguisher bottle, proceeded to dtw and landed without incident. Dtw maintenance suspected a faulty APU control box telling the APU to shut down/start up a dozen times, throwing fuel into the hot burner communication and causing the fire light. Supplemental information from acn 123045: emergency was declared and flight was diverted to dtw where fire trucks were standing by. No visible signs of fire were noted either by fire trucks or inside indications. Trucks followed us to the gate where passenger were deplaned and after NTSB release, plane was ferried back to cle.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG APU FIRE LIGHT CAME ON AT FL310 SHORTLY AFTER APU SHUT DOWN. EMERGENCY DECLARED DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE.
Narrative: AT 31,000' THE APU SWITCH WAS SELECTED TO THE OFF POSITION. THE APU GEN AVAILABLE BLUE LIGHT FLICKERED ON/OFF A DOZEN TIMES THEN THE APU OVERSPD LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE APU GEN AVAILABLE BLUE LIGHT WENT OUT. 3 MINS LATER THE APU FIRE BELL AND LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WE THEN PULLED THE FIRE HANDLE ON THE APU AND FIRED THE EXTINGUISHER BOTTLE, PROCEEDED TO DTW AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. DTW MAINT SUSPECTED A FAULTY APU CONTROL BOX TELLING THE APU TO SHUT DOWN/START UP A DOZEN TIMES, THROWING FUEL INTO THE HOT BURNER COM AND CAUSING THE FIRE LIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 123045: EMER WAS DECLARED AND FLT WAS DIVERTED TO DTW WHERE FIRE TRUCKS WERE STANDING BY. NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF FIRE WERE NOTED EITHER BY FIRE TRUCKS OR INSIDE INDICATIONS. TRUCKS FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE WHERE PAX WERE DEPLANED AND AFTER NTSB RELEASE, PLANE WAS FERRIED BACK TO CLE.
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.