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19940131003279I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Boeing 737301 · Buffalo, NY · January 31, 1994

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 31, 1994 · 07:20 local
Place
Buffalo, NY
Airport
Greater Buffalo International
Phase of flight
Starting Engines
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
CALA
Aircraft
N39340
Reported as
Boeing 737301
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
15,000 total2,500 in this make and model240 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on 1/31/94 at 0720 EST, the crew of a Boeing 737 aircraft owned by Continental airlines attempted to start the APU while the aircraft was parked at gate 24 at Buffalo, NY airport. No passengers were aboard. The attempted start was not successful. A second start was attempted which was also unsuccessful. At the conclusion of the second attempt, the f.o., who was observing the start from outside the aircraft, saw black smoke coming out of the APU exhaust port. He then went to the cockpit & saw a high EGT reading but no fire warning. He then discharged the APU fire bottle & asked buf tower to notify buf CFR. CFR responded & foamed the rear section of the aircraft. Fire was caused by excess fuel & was confined to the inside of the APU unit. Continental maintenance personnel cleaned the aircraft of the foam, mel'd the APU & returned the aircraft to service. The aircraft was not damaged & no person was injured. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate. This incident is considered closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON 1/31/94 AT 0720 EST, THE CREW OF A BOEING 737 AIRCRAFT OWNED BY CONTINENTAL AIRLINES ATTEMPTED TO START THE APU WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED AT GATE 24 AT BUFFALO, NY AIRPORT. NO PASSENGERS WERE ABOARD. THE ATTEMPTED START WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. A SECOND START WAS ATTEMPTED WHICH WAS ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND ATTEMPT, THE F.O., WHO WAS OBSERVING THE START FROM OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT, SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE APU EXHAUST PORT. HE THEN WENT TO THE COCKPIT & SAW A HIGH EGT READING BUT NO FIRE WARNING. HE THEN DISCHARGED THE APU FIRE BOTTLE & ASKED BUF TOWER TO NOTIFY BUF CFR. CFR RESPONDED & FOAMED THE REAR SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. FIRE WAS CAUSED BY EXCESS FUEL & WAS CONFINED TO THE INSIDE OF THE APU UNIT. CONTINENTAL MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL CLEANED THE AIRCRAFT OF THE FOAM, MEL'D THE APU & RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED & NO PERSON WAS INJURED. THE PILOT HELD AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.