Ground flight crew coordination lacking in potential ground fire situation.

Attributes
ACN	284752
Time
Date	199410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
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	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	284752
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 190
ASRS Report	285149
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

737 (200) model aircraft was parked at the gate with passenger boarded. Company maintenance personnel were trouble-shooting an APU start problem and had attempted at least 1 unsuccessful APU start. Cockpit crew was in cockpit but not involved with trouble-shooting effort. Mechanic reported to cockpit that the battery was 'hot' and that he would disconnect it and remove it from aircraft and to expect a delay waiting arrival of new battery. Without the crews knowledge, the fire department was called onto the scene. Someone had reported that the battery was 'on fire' however, mechanic disconnected it and carried it off the aircraft, and placed it on the ramp clear of the aircraft. Poor communication to cockpit crew. Supplemental information from acn 285149: if the crew had known we would have unloaded the passenger. With the battery off and no emergency exit lights available, getting the passenger off would have been a good idea!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND FLC COORD LACKING IN POTENTIAL GND FIRE SIT.

Narrative: 737 (200) MODEL ACFT WAS PARKED AT THE GATE WITH PAX BOARDED. COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL WERE TROUBLE-SHOOTING AN APU START PROB AND HAD ATTEMPTED AT LEAST 1 UNSUCCESSFUL APU START. COCKPIT CREW WAS IN COCKPIT BUT NOT INVOLVED WITH TROUBLE-SHOOTING EFFORT. MECH RPTED TO COCKPIT THAT THE BATTERY WAS 'HOT' AND THAT HE WOULD DISCONNECT IT AND REMOVE IT FROM ACFT AND TO EXPECT A DELAY WAITING ARR OF NEW BATTERY. WITHOUT THE CREWS KNOWLEDGE, THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED ONTO THE SCENE. SOMEONE HAD RPTED THAT THE BATTERY WAS 'ON FIRE' HOWEVER, MECH DISCONNECTED IT AND CARRIED IT OFF THE ACFT, AND PLACED IT ON THE RAMP CLR OF THE ACFT. POOR COM TO COCKPIT CREW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 285149: IF THE CREW HAD KNOWN WE WOULD HAVE UNLOADED THE PAX. WITH THE BATTERY OFF AND NO EMER EXIT LIGHTS AVAILABLE, GETTING THE PAX OFF WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA!

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.