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APU torching leaves a small residual fire in the exhaust on crj. Ground crew use fire extinguisher intended for use on brake fires. Nature of chemical and overspray directed at an engine forces removal of the engine.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 773466 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200802 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cyyz.airport |
| State Reference | ON |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Regional Jet 200 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 773466 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : 2 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Sitting at the gate with 35 passenger on board; finalizing paper; the APU shut down; ground personnel moved towards the APU exhaust. There were no APU messages or fire messages on the EICAS. I went around to the APU exhaust with the ramp agents. They reported having seen a flame shoot out; along with much smoke; which quickly dissipated in the wind. Looking in the exhaust tube; I saw residual fuel on fire in the tube; and decided to deplane the passenger back into the terminal as a precaution. When the flight attendant and first officer had escorted the last of the passenger in; I returned to the rear of the plane to discover the ramp agents had sprayed fire extinguishing chemical on the APU exhaust. No big deal for the APU; but it turns out it was a chemical designed for brake fires; and quite a bit had gotten on the right engine; grounding the airplane and forcing an engine change.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: APU TORCHING LEAVES A SMALL RESIDUAL FIRE IN THE EXHAUST ON CRJ. GND CREW USE FIRE EXTINGUISHER INTENDED FOR USE ON BRAKE FIRES. NATURE OF CHEMICAL AND OVERSPRAY DIRECTED AT AN ENGINE FORCES REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE.
Narrative: SITTING AT THE GATE WITH 35 PAX ON BOARD; FINALIZING PAPER; THE APU SHUT DOWN; GND PERSONNEL MOVED TOWARDS THE APU EXHAUST. THERE WERE NO APU MESSAGES OR FIRE MESSAGES ON THE EICAS. I WENT AROUND TO THE APU EXHAUST WITH THE RAMP AGENTS. THEY RPTED HAVING SEEN A FLAME SHOOT OUT; ALONG WITH MUCH SMOKE; WHICH QUICKLY DISSIPATED IN THE WIND. LOOKING IN THE EXHAUST TUBE; I SAW RESIDUAL FUEL ON FIRE IN THE TUBE; AND DECIDED TO DEPLANE THE PAX BACK INTO THE TERMINAL AS A PRECAUTION. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT AND FO HAD ESCORTED THE LAST OF THE PAX IN; I RETURNED TO THE REAR OF THE PLANE TO DISCOVER THE RAMP AGENTS HAD SPRAYED FIRE EXTINGUISHING CHEMICAL ON THE APU EXHAUST. NO BIG DEAL FOR THE APU; BUT IT TURNS OUT IT WAS A CHEMICAL DESIGNED FOR BRAKE FIRES; AND QUITE A BIT HAD GOTTEN ON THE R ENG; GROUNDING THE AIRPLANE AND FORCING AN ENG CHANGE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.