Air carrier large transport experiences lavatory fire shortly before landing.

Attributes
ACN	132592
Time
Date	199001
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : geg
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : geg tower : bna
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	132592
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On descent into geg, approximately 15 mi from T/D, a F/a called on the interphone and advised us of a fire in the aft left lav. The second officer immediately went back to assess the situation. He discovered the smoke was coming from the toilet bowl. He discharged a halon fire extinguisher into the toilet bowl and reported to us the smoke had subsided just prior to landing in spokane. It was later discovered the toilet flush motor had malfunctioned and overheated, causing the smoke. It was the spokane fire marshall that discovered the source of the smoke after we parked the aircraft at the gate and deplaned the passenger. During this entire time the flush motor circuit breaker in the cockpit did not pop and the smoke detector in the lav apparently did not chime until after the halon fire extinguisher had been discharged in the lav. In this instance the problem terminated west/O any injury or loss of life, but one can imagine how serious an incident of this kind could have been if the materials in that area had erupted into flames.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT EXPERIENCES LAVATORY FIRE SHORTLY BEFORE LNDG.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO GEG, APPROX 15 MI FROM T/D, A F/A CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND ADVISED US OF A FIRE IN THE AFT LEFT LAV. THE S/O IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. HE DISCOVERED THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE TOILET BOWL. HE DISCHARGED A HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER INTO THE TOILET BOWL AND RPTED TO US THE SMOKE HAD SUBSIDED JUST PRIOR TO LNDG IN SPOKANE. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THE TOILET FLUSH MOTOR HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE SMOKE. IT WAS THE SPOKANE FIRE MARSHALL THAT DISCOVERED THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AFTER WE PARKED THE ACFT AT THE GATE AND DEPLANED THE PAX. DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME THE FLUSH MOTOR CB IN THE COCKPIT DID NOT POP AND THE SMOKE DETECTOR IN THE LAV APPARENTLY DID NOT CHIME UNTIL AFTER THE HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER HAD BEEN DISCHARGED IN THE LAV. IN THIS INSTANCE THE PROB TERMINATED W/O ANY INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE, BUT ONE CAN IMAGINE HOW SERIOUS AN INCIDENT OF THIS KIND COULD HAVE BEEN IF THE MATERIALS IN THAT AREA HAD ERUPTED INTO FLAMES.

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