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A B747-200 in cruise at FL330 experienced an APU fire warning. Crew discharged APU fire extinguisher. Because of the chronic history of APU false fire warnings the crew elected to continue.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 441272 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199906 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cmx.airport |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : czyz.artcc tower : mdpp.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 191 flight time total : 15657 flight time type : 1325 |
| ASRS Report | 441272 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : apu fire warning |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : testing |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Aircraft has a history of APU problems including 'a' loop MEL's and automatic-shutdowns. Just at rotation (160 KTS) we got a momentary flicker of master fire warning and amber fire detection lights. An hour after APU was shut down, we got an APU fire warning. The communication procedure was followed. The instant that the bottle (squib) was discharged the warning extinguished. All subsequent APU fire test were normal. This system uses 'or' logic, and the APU has had numerous recent write-ups. After conferring with maintenance control, dispatch and the chief pilot and among ourselves, we elected to continue the flight to ams. All other system were normal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B747-200 IN CRUISE AT FL330 EXPERIENCED AN APU FIRE WARNING. CREW DISCHARGED APU FIRE EXTINGUISHER. BECAUSE OF THE CHRONIC HISTORY OF APU FALSE FIRE WARNINGS THE CREW ELECTED TO CONTINUE.
Narrative: ACFT HAS A HISTORY OF APU PROBS INCLUDING 'A' LOOP MEL'S AND AUTO-SHUTDOWNS. JUST AT ROTATION (160 KTS) WE GOT A MOMENTARY FLICKER OF MASTER FIRE WARNING AND AMBER FIRE DETECTION LIGHTS. AN HR AFTER APU WAS SHUT DOWN, WE GOT AN APU FIRE WARNING. THE COM PROC WAS FOLLOWED. THE INSTANT THAT THE BOTTLE (SQUIB) WAS DISCHARGED THE WARNING EXTINGUISHED. ALL SUBSEQUENT APU FIRE TEST WERE NORMAL. THIS SYS USES 'OR' LOGIC, AND THE APU HAS HAD NUMEROUS RECENT WRITE-UPS. AFTER CONFERRING WITH MAINT CTL, DISPATCH AND THE CHIEF PLT AND AMONG OURSELVES, WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO AMS. ALL OTHER SYS WERE NORMAL.
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.