What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The APU failed immediately after transferring electrical power to ground service. Smoke was reported in the cabin. On the flight deck the APU fault light illuminated and the unit automatically shutdown. No APU firelight was observed. Flight attendants reported a grinding noise could be heard coming from the APU before shutdown. Ramp workers positioned outside the aircraft near the aft cargo pit reported smoke, sparks, flame, and a loud pop emitted from the APU exhaust port as it shut down. No fire was observed. Maintenance personnel found metal pieces in the exhaust port, which confirmed failure of the APU. Maintenance personnel further confirmed the failure by bite, which read code 45, "auto-shutdown". Maintenance personnel inspected the APU compartment and APU shroud area for additional aircraft damage and confirmed the failure was contained within the APU shell. Pending replacement, the APU was placarded "inop" in accordance with the operators MEL.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE APU FAILED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TRANSFERRING ELECTRICAL POWER TO GROUND SERVICE. SMOKE WAS REPORTED IN THE CABIN. ON THE FLIGHT DECK THE APU FAULT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE UNIT AUTOMATICALLY SHUTDOWN. NO APU FIRELIGHT WAS OBSERVED. FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REPORTED A GRINDING NOISE COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE APU BEFORE SHUTDOWN. RAMP WORKERS POSITIONED OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT NEAR THE AFT CARGO PIT REPORTED SMOKE, SPARKS, FLAME, AND A LOUD POP EMITTED FROM THE APU EXHAUST PORT AS IT SHUT DOWN. NO FIRE WAS OBSERVED. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FOUND METAL PIECES IN THE EXHAUST PORT, WHICH CONFIRMED FAILURE OF THE APU. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FURTHER CONFIRMED THE FAILURE BY BITE, WHICH READ CODE 45, "AUTO-SHUTDOWN". MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE APU COMPARTMENT AND APU SHROUD AREA FOR ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND CONFIRMED THE FAILURE WAS CONTAINED WITHIN THE APU SHELL. PENDING REPLACEMENT, THE APU WAS PLACARDED "INOP" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPERATORS MEL.
Other reports on N564AA · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.