Narrative:

We had a problem with the aircraft APU -- a fireball shot out back of aircraft. A fire started in field off the runway. The turbine disintegrated and shot out all over runway. A piece of the turbine hit an MD80 aircraft, behind us, breaking its windshield. I fly the MD11 aircraft all the time and have had numerous problems with the APU. It's pretty typical to have the power/lights go out on this airplane, so when the lights went out, I just assumed it was another glitch in the APU. I didn't realize how bad it was, until after returning to the gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the passenger and flight attendants in the back felt the bang and smelled something burning. She was in first class and couldn't feel or smell anything wrong. The plane was towed back to the gate. The flight was canceled and the plane taken OTS. The airport shut down the runway for almost an hour to put out the fire that was on field with 4 fire trucks. The captain later went out and collected pieces of the turbine that were scattered all over the field. The reporter said that this particular airplane had a history of mechanical failures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD11, DFW-MIA. TAXI, APU FIRE, TURBINE DISINTEGRATED, A PART BROKE WINDSHIELD OF ANOTHER PLANE AND SET AIRFIELD ON FIRE. PLANE TOWED BACK TO GATE.

Narrative: WE HAD A PROB WITH THE ACFT APU -- A FIREBALL SHOT OUT BACK OF ACFT. A FIRE STARTED IN FIELD OFF THE RWY. THE TURBINE DISINTEGRATED AND SHOT OUT ALL OVER RWY. A PIECE OF THE TURBINE HIT AN MD80 ACFT, BEHIND US, BREAKING ITS WINDSHIELD. I FLY THE MD11 ACFT ALL THE TIME AND HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBS WITH THE APU. IT'S PRETTY TYPICAL TO HAVE THE PWR/LIGHTS GO OUT ON THIS AIRPLANE, SO WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, I JUST ASSUMED IT WAS ANOTHER GLITCH IN THE APU. I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW BAD IT WAS, UNTIL AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK FELT THE BANG AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. SHE WAS IN FIRST CLASS AND COULDN'T FEEL OR SMELL ANYTHING WRONG. THE PLANE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. THE FLT WAS CANCELED AND THE PLANE TAKEN OTS. THE ARPT SHUT DOWN THE RWY FOR ALMOST AN HR TO PUT OUT THE FIRE THAT WAS ON FIELD WITH 4 FIRE TRUCKS. THE CAPT LATER WENT OUT AND COLLECTED PIECES OF THE TURBINE THAT WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE FIELD. THE RPTR SAID THAT THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE HAD A HISTORY OF MECHANICAL FAILURES.

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.