A B757's APU was seen smoking in the terminal windows by the crew. The APU was shut down; but fire e...

Attributes
ACN	796681
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
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 : 210 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	796681
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After cabin ready and cockpit door closed first officer and captain noticed in reflection of terminal glass a large amount of smoke coming from tail of plane. We called ramp on interphone to have them look for fire or flames as no fire warning was indicated. Could not get ground person on interphone so I had to call ramp to get external power back on aircraft and customer service back to open cabin door. I shut down APU. I then asked first officer to call ramp and have them send fire truck out in case there was a fire that was not giving a warning. We opened cockpit door and informed purser about the situation and told them to stand by their doors and be ready for either disarm or evacuate/evacuation. The smoke was starting to dissipate; however after several mins there was no jetbridge driver so I called operations on the radio and told them to get a bridge up or we would start blowing slides. It was still several mins before the door was opened. I don't know why but the customer service on the bridge would not drive it up to the plane. Also no fire truck ever came to the plane. I asked the maintenance crew if they canceled the truck and they said no. I suspect the ramp tower never called the fire truck.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757'S APU WAS SEEN SMOKING IN THE TERMINAL WINDOWS BY THE CREW. THE APU WAS SHUT DOWN; BUT FIRE EQUIP; ACR MAINTENANCE AND CUSTOMER SVC DID NOT RESPOND WHEN CALLED.

Narrative: AFTER CABIN READY AND COCKPIT DOOR CLOSED FO AND CAPT NOTICED IN REFLECTION OF TERMINAL GLASS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM TAIL OF PLANE. WE CALLED RAMP ON INTERPHONE TO HAVE THEM LOOK FOR FIRE OR FLAMES AS NO FIRE WARNING WAS INDICATED. COULD NOT GET GND PERSON ON INTERPHONE SO I HAD TO CALL RAMP TO GET EXTERNAL PWR BACK ON ACFT AND CUSTOMER SVC BACK TO OPEN CABIN DOOR. I SHUT DOWN APU. I THEN ASKED FO TO CALL RAMP AND HAVE THEM SEND FIRE TRUCK OUT IN CASE THERE WAS A FIRE THAT WAS NOT GIVING A WARNING. WE OPENED COCKPIT DOOR AND INFORMED PURSER ABOUT THE SITUATION AND TOLD THEM TO STAND BY THEIR DOORS AND BE READY FOR EITHER DISARM OR EVAC. THE SMOKE WAS STARTING TO DISSIPATE; HOWEVER AFTER SEVERAL MINS THERE WAS NO JETBRIDGE DRIVER SO I CALLED OPS ON THE RADIO AND TOLD THEM TO GET A BRIDGE UP OR WE WOULD START BLOWING SLIDES. IT WAS STILL SEVERAL MINS BEFORE THE DOOR WAS OPENED. I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT THE CUSTOMER SVC ON THE BRIDGE WOULD NOT DRIVE IT UP TO THE PLANE. ALSO NO FIRE TRUCK EVER CAME TO THE PLANE. I ASKED THE MAINT CREW IF THEY CANCELED THE TRUCK AND THEY SAID NO. I SUSPECT THE RAMP TWR NEVER CALLED THE FIRE TRUCK.

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.

A B757's APU was seen smoking in the terminal windows by the crew. The APU was shut down; but fire equipment; air carrier maintenance and customer service did not respond when called.