# Incident 20030111000229I: Boeing 757222, Salt Lake City, UT, January 11, 2003

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 11, 2003, 00:45 local time
- Place: Salt Lake City, UT
- Airport: Salt Lake City International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: UALA
- Location: 40.7883° N, 111.9928° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7883&lon=-111.9928&mi=10
- Aircraft: N551UA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N551UA-2018-05-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 757-222 (registry code 1384956, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-757-222) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PW2040 (registry code 52121, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pw2040) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 757222
- People aboard: 140
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN03IA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03IA033) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030111000229I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.19) ON JANUARY 11, 2002, AT 0045 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BOEING 757-222, N551UA, OPERATING AS UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 23, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, A FIRE OCCURRED IN THE AFT LAVATORY. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, AN EMERGENCY DECLARED, AND AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE AT THE SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SLC), SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE SCHEDULED DOMESTIC PASSENGER FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES PLAN UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 121. THE CAPTAIN, FIRST OFFICER, 5 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, AND 133 PASSENGERS REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AT 2243, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. THE COMPANY REPORTED THAT FLIGHT 23 WAS AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 37,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL AND JUST SOUTH OF SLC, WHEN A PASSENGER REPORTED TO A FLIGHT ATTENDANT A BURNING SMELL IN THE AFT LAVATORY. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE LAVATORY AND OPENED THE DOOR UNDER THE SINK. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SAW A FLAME. SHE IMMEDIATELY DISCHARGED HALON TO THE AREA EXTINGUISHING THE FLAME. THE PLASTIC SHROUD AROUND THE TOILET WAS REMOVED AND THE AREA WAS INSPECTED FOR ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF FIRE. THE CAPTAIN DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, AND DIVERT AND LAND AT SLC. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE LAVATORY TOILET WATER LEVEL SENSOR WAS CHARRED AND MELTED. THE INSIDE AFT WALL OF THE TOILET SHROUD, IN THE AREA OVER THE SENSOR, WAS CHARRED AND MELTED. VENT TUBES IN THE AREA WERE ALSO CHARRED AND MELTED. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE FOUND. THE WATER LEVEL SENSOR, SHROUD, AND VENT ASSEMBLY WERE RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN03IA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03IA033), Jan 11, 2003: Boeing 757-222 (N551UA), Salt Lake City, UT, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: the arcing wires in the lavatory sensor that resulted in the subsequent fire.

## Other reports on N551UA (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19990820024909I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990820024909I), Aug 20, 1999: Boeing 757200 (N551UA), Albuquerque, NM. Departed abq for den, on climbout at FL 230, crew heard loud bang followed by high EGT (782) and N2 stopped crew followed engine shutdown procedures and shut…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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