<< >> NASA ASRS Report 179921, May 1991

APU fire noted by passenger who alerted cabin attendant to threat. Cabin attendant called flight crew.

Attributes
ACN	179921
Time
Date	199105
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 1560 flight time type : 290
ASRS Report	179921
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

At approximately am:00L, 5/wed/91, awaiting final paperwork before pushback, aircraft lost APU electrical power. While flight crew was analyzing situation, F/a's advised cockpit that passenger could see fire from back in the cabin and were pointing out to the wing. F/east was sent back to investigate the commotion. F/east witnessed flames coming off the wing and climbing over 2 windows on the right side aft of the overwing exits. F/east advised the F/a that the passenger would have to get off the aircraft. The F/east returned to the cockpit to notify captain of the fire and need for evacuate/evacuation. Aircraft was evacked west/O incident. All passenger debarked through the forward entrance with less than 5 going out the aft airstairs. Maintenance suspected an APU turbine failure started the fire. Since it started near the APU exhaust, there were no cockpit indications of an APU fire. The APU master switch had been turned off prior to F/east's investigation of the cabin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APU FIRE NOTED BY PAX WHO ALERTED CABIN ATTENDANT TO THREAT. CABIN ATTENDANT CALLED FLT CREW.

Narrative: AT APPROX AM:00L, 5/WED/91, AWAITING FINAL PAPERWORK BEFORE PUSHBACK, ACFT LOST APU ELECTRICAL PWR. WHILE FLT CREW WAS ANALYZING SITUATION, F/A'S ADVISED COCKPIT THAT PAX COULD SEE FIRE FROM BACK IN THE CABIN AND WERE POINTING OUT TO THE WING. F/E WAS SENT BACK TO INVESTIGATE THE COMMOTION. F/E WITNESSED FLAMES COMING OFF THE WING AND CLBING OVER 2 WINDOWS ON THE RIGHT SIDE AFT OF THE OVERWING EXITS. F/E ADVISED THE F/A THAT THE PAX WOULD HAVE TO GET OFF THE ACFT. THE F/E RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO NOTIFY CAPT OF THE FIRE AND NEED FOR EVAC. ACFT WAS EVACKED W/O INCIDENT. ALL PAX DEBARKED THROUGH THE FORWARD ENTRANCE WITH LESS THAN 5 GOING OUT THE AFT AIRSTAIRS. MAINT SUSPECTED AN APU TURBINE FAILURE STARTED THE FIRE. SINCE IT STARTED NEAR THE APU EXHAUST, THERE WERE NO COCKPIT INDICATIONS OF AN APU FIRE. THE APU MASTER SWITCH HAD BEEN TURNED OFF PRIOR TO F/E'S INVESTIGATION OF THE CABIN.

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.