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20080708849009I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 737-524 · Cleveland, OH · July 8, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 8, 2008 · 15:15 local
Place
Cleveland, OH
Airport
Cleveland-Hopkins International
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
CALA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N16607
Reported as
Boeing 737524
People aboard
117
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N16607Registration cancelled Dec 22, 2008 · Boeing 737-524S/N 27320 · Built 1994Airframe modelBoeing 737-524Engine modelCFM International CFM56 seriesTurbo-fan

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.

(-23) Flight crew called for maintenance to check APU for failure to start. Mech attempted to start APU, it did not ignite. On the second attempt the APU started but after 10 seconds the power dropped off line and the mechanics shut down the APU. The mechanics left the flight deck and reported that some smoke was coming from the APU tailpipe. At this time the mechanics attempted to motor the APU to clear fuel from the tailpipe. APU EGT rose to just below red red line. Mechanics discontinued motoring and left the flight deck as the APU EGT pegged to top of scale. The captain left flight deck to view the APU tailpipe area and saw thick black smoke billowing from the tail of the aircraft. At this time the captain made a pa announcement for the passengers to deplane back into the terminal. Then the captain heard the APU fire bell activate. The captain silenced the bell and pulled the APU fire handle and turned the handle to the left and to the right without either squib light illuminating. It was later determined that the mechanics heard the APU fire horn in the wheel well and pulled the wheel well fire handle which cancelled out the flight deck fire handle. Cleveland fire department arrived on scene and sprayed down.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) FLIGHT CREW CALLED FOR MAINTENANCE TO CHECK APU FOR FAILURE TO START. MECH ATTEMPTED TO START APU, IT DID NOT IGNITE. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT THE APU STARTED BUT AFTER 10 SECONDS THE POWER DROPPED OFF LINE AND THE MECHANICS SHUT DOWN THE APU. THE MECHANICS LEFT THE FLIGHT DECK AND REPORTED THAT SOME SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE APU TAILPIPE. AT THIS TIME THE MECHANICS ATTEMPTED TO MOTOR THE APU TO CLEAR FUEL FROM THE TAILPIPE. APU EGT ROSE TO JUST BELOW RED RED LINE. MECHANICS DISCONTINUED MOTORING AND LEFT THE FLIGHT DECK AS THE APU EGT PEGGED TO TOP OF SCALE. THE CAPTAIN LEFT FLIGHT DECK TO VIEW THE APU TAILPIPE AREA AND SAW THICK BLACK SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT. AT THIS TIME THE CAPTAIN MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PASSENGERS TO DEPLANE BACK INTO THE TERMINAL. THEN THE CAPTAIN HEARD THE APU FIRE BELL ACTIVATE. THE CAPTAIN SILENCED THE BELL AND PULLED THE APU FIRE HANDLE AND TURNED THE HANDLE TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT EITHER SQUIB LIGHT ILLUMINATING. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE MECHANICS HEARD THE APU FIRE HORN IN THE WHEEL WELL AND PULLED THE WHEEL WELL FIRE HANDLE WHICH CANCELLED OUT THE FLIGHT DECK FIRE HANDLE. CLEVELAND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON SCENE AND SPRAYED DOWN.