Air carrier widebody transport has tailpipe fire after shutdown at gate.

Attributes
ACN	95491
Time
Date	198810
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	95491
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Engines were shut down and normal speed down and cool down. Securing checklist accomplished, APU inoperative since 9/fri/88. No ground air was connected. Ground electric was connected. I had left the aircraft. I was later informed that someone came onboard and reported a tailpipe fire in #2 engine. No air was available to rotate engine, which would be normal procedure, account inoperative APU. Cause of fire unknown to me. Fire was aggravated by lack of an APU--inoperative for 6 days. Corrective action recommended: better maintenance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: confirmed #2 engine as the one of the tailpipe fire. All of crew had departed aircraft except captain who had delayed to go to head and when ground crew rushed on board to report fire, captain tried to motorize engine per procedure to put out fire, but with no air available account APU inoperative and ground air cart, although available not hooked up and running, was unable. Fire department arrived and put out fire. No further feedback on cause, but suspect pressurized fuel manifold leaked and vaporized into hot tailpipe. Did not think was damage to aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB HAS TAILPIPE FIRE AFTER SHUTDOWN AT GATE.

Narrative: ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND NORMAL SPD DOWN AND COOL DOWN. SECURING CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED, APU INOP SINCE 9/FRI/88. NO GND AIR WAS CONNECTED. GND ELECTRIC WAS CONNECTED. I HAD LEFT THE ACFT. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT SOMEONE CAME ONBOARD AND RPTED A TAILPIPE FIRE IN #2 ENG. NO AIR WAS AVAILABLE TO ROTATE ENG, WHICH WOULD BE NORMAL PROC, ACCOUNT INOP APU. CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN TO ME. FIRE WAS AGGRAVATED BY LACK OF AN APU--INOP FOR 6 DAYS. CORRECTIVE ACTION RECOMMENDED: BETTER MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CONFIRMED #2 ENG AS THE ONE OF THE TAILPIPE FIRE. ALL OF CREW HAD DEPARTED ACFT EXCEPT CAPT WHO HAD DELAYED TO GO TO HEAD AND WHEN GND CREW RUSHED ON BOARD TO RPT FIRE, CAPT TRIED TO MOTORIZE ENG PER PROC TO PUT OUT FIRE, BUT WITH NO AIR AVAILABLE ACCOUNT APU INOP AND GND AIR CART, ALTHOUGH AVAILABLE NOT HOOKED UP AND RUNNING, WAS UNABLE. FIRE DEPT ARRIVED AND PUT OUT FIRE. NO FURTHER FEEDBACK ON CAUSE, BUT SUSPECT PRESSURIZED FUEL MANIFOLD LEAKED AND VAPORIZED INTO HOT TAILPIPE. DID NOT THINK WAS DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.