APU failure away from the gate.

Attributes
ACN	290394
Time
Date	199412
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	290394
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On taxi-in at las our APU failed as we put a load on it and shut down engines. Initially smoke was evident for only a few seconds. The ground controller advised us, but there was no evidence in the cabin. We were on emergency exit lighting until a tug towed us to gate. The ground controllers were very cooperative and offered assistance early on, even with heavy traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APU FAILURE AWAY FROM THE GATE.

Narrative: ON TAXI-IN AT LAS OUR APU FAILED AS WE PUT A LOAD ON IT AND SHUT DOWN ENGS. INITIALLY SMOKE WAS EVIDENT FOR ONLY A FEW SECONDS. THE GND CTLR ADVISED US, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE IN THE CABIN. WE WERE ON EMER EXIT LIGHTING UNTIL A TUG TOWED US TO GATE. THE GND CTLRS WERE VERY COOPERATIVE AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE EARLY ON, EVEN WITH HVY TFC.

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.