Air carrier medium large transport APU fire warning while taxiing to the gate. Aircraft evacuated.

Attributes
ACN	164756
Time
Date	199012
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2150
ASRS Report	164756
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During taxi to gate at dtw, ramp control notified us that they could see a fire and smoke coming from our right wing root area. At that time, we got an APU fire warning light and horn. We stopped about 5' short of the gate and did the APU fire checklist. We notified dtw tower of the fire and requested fire equipment. We got a second fire warning which went out upon being sprayed down by the fire equipment. We were then towed the last few ft to the parking spot, the jetway was brought up to the aircraft, and passenger deplaned normally. We found out afterward that a few people left via the aft airstairs because a mechanic had lowered the stairs and had come on the aircraft telling people to get off immediately.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG APU FIRE WARNING WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE. ACFT EVACUATED.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO GATE AT DTW, RAMP CTL NOTIFIED US THAT THEY COULD SEE A FIRE AND SMOKE COMING FROM OUR RIGHT WING ROOT AREA. AT THAT TIME, WE GOT AN APU FIRE WARNING LIGHT AND HORN. WE STOPPED ABOUT 5' SHORT OF THE GATE AND DID THE APU FIRE CHKLIST. WE NOTIFIED DTW TWR OF THE FIRE AND REQUESTED FIRE EQUIP. WE GOT A SECOND FIRE WARNING WHICH WENT OUT UPON BEING SPRAYED DOWN BY THE FIRE EQUIP. WE WERE THEN TOWED THE LAST FEW FT TO THE PARKING SPOT, THE JETWAY WAS BROUGHT UP TO THE ACFT, AND PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY. WE FOUND OUT AFTERWARD THAT A FEW PEOPLE LEFT VIA THE AFT AIRSTAIRS BECAUSE A MECH HAD LOWERED THE STAIRS AND HAD COME ON THE ACFT TELLING PEOPLE TO GET OFF IMMEDIATELY.

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.