What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) As noted per Bangor, Maine ATCT: "world airways 173, DC-10, while landing Bangor, ME runway 33, at 2321 EST, 12-6-04, number two engine caught fire under unknown circumstances. Aircraft taxied to taxiway "m" where CFR extinguished flames. There were no injuries to the crew of three. Aircraft damage to be determined. Airport was closed for approximately 30 minutes while airport management cleared debris. However, there was no impact to air traffic services. Supplemental info: note: aircraft was enroute from brussels, belgium to dayton, oh and was stopping at Bangor for customs and refueling. Note: air traffic control heard a loud bang prior to observing engine catch fire." This inspector proceeded to Bangor with operations inspector, privacy data omitted and airworthiness inspector, privacy data omitted on morning of 12/07/04. Upon arrival at Bangor, Maine, we were met by world airways maintenance technician at aircraft. We were informed by tech that he had not stated any serious troubleshooting as he was preparing to launch world MD-11 that was next door (cargo retrieval aircraft) and was waiting for senior world technician to come on scene to accompany him with inspection. This inspector reviewed aircraft mx. Logbook and observed that on logbook page LP224068 "mx. Control request no. 2 engine vapor vent solenoid valve be replaced" this inspector does not know at this time if this is a related incident. Operations inspector observed that fuel used gauges in cockpit read as reported: #1 gauge 46940/#2 gauge 49620/#3 gauge 45740. Large discrepancy noted between number 2 gauge and #1 & #3. Other maintenance write up in logbook related to incident: "L1 door opened pneumatically & slide deployed emergency egress" proceeded to contact office manager in portland, Maine to inform him of emergency egress. Office manager in turn notified NTSB of egress. Various sections of #2 engine cowl appeared to have singed areas surrounding the bottom section of the cowl and along various areas of the tail of the empennage. A short time later world senior tech showed at aircraft to try and establish what the cause of the incident was. Weather went down in Bangor due to snowstorm. Talked to senior tech on morning of 12/8 by telephone and was informed that he could get fan cowl open but could not open core cowl. He stated that he had accomplished a fuel pressure check and this timeyould not locate any obvious fuel leak. He also mentioned that cowling was warped out of shape and that hydraulic line that is used to pump cowl open had melted. Senior tech has been notified by his d.o.m. not to go any further into inspection, because NTSB is due on scene some time in p.m. shortly after this inspector was contacted by world airways d.o.m. who stated that on 12/8 a delta structure inspection specialist would be on scene with NTSB to determine if #2 engine upper nacelle structure had sustained any damage during fire. Returned to Bangor on 12-9-04. NTSB and FAA accident investigative branch now in charge of investigation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AS NOTED PER BANGOR, MAINE ATCT: "WORLD AIRWAYS 173, DC-10, WHILE LANDING BANGOR, ME RUNWAY 33, AT 2321 EST, 12-6-04, NUMBER TWO ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO TAXIWAY "M" WHERE CFR EXTINGUISHED FLAMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CREW OF THREE. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE TO BE DETERMINED. AIRPORT WAS CLOSED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES WHILE AIRPORT MANAGEMENT CLEARED DEBRIS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO: NOTE: AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM BRUSSELS, BELGIUM TO DAYTON, OH AND WAS STOPPING AT BANGOR FOR CUSTOMS AND REFUELING. NOTE: AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HEARD A LOUD BANG PRIOR TO OBSERVING ENGINE CATCH FIRE." THIS INSPECTOR PROCEEDED TO BANGOR WITH OPERATIONS INSPECTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ AND AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA^ ON MORNING OF 12/07/04. UPON ARRIVAL AT BANGOR, MAINE, WE WERE MET BY WORLD AIRWAYS MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN AT AIRCRAFT. WE WERE INFORMED BY TECH THAT HE HAD NOT STATED ANY SERIOUS TROUBLESHOOTING AS HE WAS PREPARING TO LAUNCH WORLD MD-11 THAT WAS NEXT DOOR (CARGO RETRIEVAL AIRCRAFT) AND WAS WAITING FOR SENIOR WORLD TECHNICIAN TO COME ON SCENE TO ACCOMPANY HIM WITH INSPECTION. THIS INSPECTOR REVIEWED AIRCRAFT MX. LOGBOOK AND OBSERVED THAT ON LOGBOOK PAGE LP224068 "MX. CONTROL REQUEST NO. 2 ENGINE VAPOR VENT SOLENOID VALVE BE REPLACED" THIS INSPECTOR DOES NOT KNOW AT THIS TIME IF THIS IS A RELATED INCIDENT. OPERATIONS INSPECTOR OBSERVED THAT FUEL USED GAUGES IN COCKPIT READ AS REPORTED: #1 GAUGE 46940/#2 GAUGE 49620/#3 GAUGE 45740. LARGE DISCREPANCY NOTED BETWEEN NUMBER 2 GAUGE AND #1 & #3. OTHER MAINTENANCE WRITE UP IN LOGBOOK RELATED TO INCIDENT: "L1 DOOR OPENED PNEUMATICALLY & SLIDE DEPLOYED EMERGENCY EGRESS" PROCEEDED TO CONTACT OFFICE MANAGER IN PORTLAND, MAINE TO INFORM HIM OF EMERGENCY EGRESS. OFFICE MANAGER IN TURN NOTIFIED NTSB OF EGRESS. VARIOUS SECTIONS OF #2 ENGINE COWL APPEARED TO HAVE SINGED AREAS SURROUNDING THE BOTTOM SECTION OF THE COWL AND ALONG VARIOUS AREAS OF THE TAIL OF THE EMPENNAGE. A SHORT TIME LATER WORLD SENIOR TECH SHOWED AT AIRCRAFT TO TRY AND ESTABLISH WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS. WEATHER WENT DOWN IN BANGOR DUE TO SNOWSTORM. TALKED TO SENIOR TECH ON MORNING OF 12/8 BY TELEPHONE AND WAS INFORMED THAT HE COULD GET FAN COWL OPEN BUT COULD NOT OPEN CORE COWL. HE STATED THAT HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED A FUEL PRESSURE CHECK AND THIS TIMEYOULD NOT LOCATE ANY OBVIOUS FUEL LEAK. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT COWLING WAS WARPED OUT OF SHAPE AND THAT HYDRAULIC LINE THAT IS USED TO PUMP COWL OPEN HAD MELTED. SENIOR TECH HAS BEEN NOTIFIED BY HIS D.O.M. NOT TO GO ANY FURTHER INTO INSPECTION, BECAUSE NTSB IS DUE ON SCENE SOME TIME IN P.M. SHORTLY AFTER THIS INSPECTOR WAS CONTACTED BY WORLD AIRWAYS D.O.M. WHO STATED THAT ON 12/8 A DELTA STRUCTURE INSPECTION SPECIALIST WOULD BE ON SCENE WITH NTSB TO DETERMINE IF #2 ENGINE UPPER NACELLE STRUCTURE HAD SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGE DURING FIRE. RETURNED TO BANGOR ON 12-9-04. NTSB AND FAA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIVE BRANCH NOW IN CHARGE OF INVESTIGATION.