A canadair CL65 on descent at 10000 ft switched bleeds from engines to APU and experienced intense j...

Attributes
ACN	573631
Time
Date	200302
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mlb.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dab.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	573631
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On descent into mlb from atl, APU pwred up normally, however, after switching the bleeds from engines to APU, an intense jet fuel odor entered cabin through the environmental control system. I immediately shut down the APU and switched bleeds back to the engines. Jet-fuel odor began dissipating immediately. No other faults or problems were observed. Landed in mlb without incident. Passenger were complaining of irritated eyes and sinuses as they deplaned in mlb. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated when the auxiliary power unit bleed air was switched on, the passenger cabin had an intense fuel odor and was immediately switched off. The reporter said the engine bleeds were switched on and cleared the cabin of the fuel odor. The reporter stated on the ground the auxiliary power unit was deferred by contract maintenance and rendered inoperative per the MEL. The reporter said the airplane was flown to a maintenance station where the airplane was taken OTS. The reporter stated the maintenance action taken was unknown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 ON DSCNT AT 10000 FT SWITCHED BLEEDS FROM ENGS TO APU AND EXPERIENCED INTENSE JET FUEL ODOR THROUGHOUT CABIN.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO MLB FROM ATL, APU PWRED UP NORMALLY, HOWEVER, AFTER SWITCHING THE BLEEDS FROM ENGS TO APU, AN INTENSE JET FUEL ODOR ENTERED CABIN THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CTL SYS. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE APU AND SWITCHED BLEEDS BACK TO THE ENGS. JET-FUEL ODOR BEGAN DISSIPATING IMMEDIATELY. NO OTHER FAULTS OR PROBS WERE OBSERVED. LANDED IN MLB WITHOUT INCIDENT. PAX WERE COMPLAINING OF IRRITATED EYES AND SINUSES AS THEY DEPLANED IN MLB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE AUXILIARY PWR UNIT BLEED AIR WAS SWITCHED ON, THE PAX CABIN HAD AN INTENSE FUEL ODOR AND WAS IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED OFF. THE RPTR SAID THE ENG BLEEDS WERE SWITCHED ON AND CLRED THE CABIN OF THE FUEL ODOR. THE RPTR STATED ON THE GND THE AUXILIARY PWR UNIT WAS DEFERRED BY CONTRACT MAINT AND RENDERED INOP PER THE MEL. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN TO A MAINT STATION WHERE THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OTS. THE RPTR STATED THE MAINT ACTION TAKEN WAS UNKNOWN.

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.

A canadair CL65 on descent at 10000 ft switched bleeds from engines to APU and experienced intense jet fuel odor throughout cabin.