What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday, October 23, 2001, atlantic southeast airlines (asa) flight 5131, operating from des moines, IA (dsm) to Atlanta, GA (atl), using Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft registration N751EV, landed in atl at approximately 1415 local time. During taxi and after shutting down the left engine, the flight crew observed a left engine fire warning. The crew followed the quick reference handbook procedure and extinguished the fire. The aircraft completed its taxi to the gate without further incident. Maintenance personnel replaced the left engine and the aircraft was returned to service. There was no fire damage to the airframe. Damage was limited to minor burn damage to a wire harness in the vicinity of the operability bleed valve (obv) on the upper left side of the engine. On Monday October 24, 2011, an FAA inspector from the asa certificate management unit observed the engine and communicated with the NTSB iic. On Tuesday October 25, 2011, the obv was removed from the engine at the direction of the NTSB iic and with representatives from the FAA, asa, Honeywell, and general electric in attendance. The valve was found to be installed approximately one eighth inch out of alignment and one of the fuel muscle lines to the valve body was fractured and separated from the obv allowing fuel to leak and feed the fire. The valve and attaching hardware was sent to Honeywell in Arizona for examination. On November 15, 2011, the obv was examined and the fractured muscle line attachment fitting was determined to have been cracked prior to the failure. There have been a number of similar failures and Honeywell is working with the NTSB to identify a probable root cause. At this time, the NTSB has custody of the relevant parts and the investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2001, ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST AIRLINES (ASA) FLIGHT 5131, OPERATING FROM DES MOINES, IA (DSM) TO ATLANTA, GA (ATL), USING BOMBARDIER CRJ-700 AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION N751EV, LANDED IN ATL AT APPROXIMATELY 1415 LOCAL TIME. DURING TAXI AND AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE, THE FLIGHT CREW OBSERVED A LEFT ENGINE FIRE WARNING. THE CREW FOLLOWED THE QUICK REFERENCE HANDBOOK PROCEDURE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED ITS TAXI TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REPLACED THE LEFT ENGINE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THERE WAS NO FIRE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO MINOR BURN DAMAGE TO A WIRE HARNESS IN THE VICINITY OF THE OPERABILITY BLEED VALVE (OBV) ON THE UPPER LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. ON MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2011, AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ASA CERTIFICATE MANAGEMENT UNIT OBSERVED THE ENGINE AND COMMUNICATED WITH THE NTSB IIC. ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 25, 2011, THE OBV WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE AT THE DIRECTION OF THE NTSB IIC AND WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FAA, ASA, HONEYWELL, AND GENERAL ELECTRIC IN ATTENDANCE. THE VALVE WAS FOUND TO BE INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY ONE EIGHTH INCH OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND ONE OF THE FUEL MUSCLE LINES TO THE VALVE BODY WAS FRACTURED AND SEPARATED FROM THE OBV ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK AND FEED THE FIRE. THE VALVE AND ATTACHING HARDWARE WAS SENT TO HONEYWELL IN ARIZONA FOR EXAMINATION. ON NOVEMBER 15, 2011, THE OBV WAS EXAMINED AND THE FRACTURED MUSCLE LINE ATTACHMENT FITTING WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE BEEN CRACKED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF SIMILAR FAILURES AND HONEYWELL IS WORKING WITH THE NTSB TO IDENTIFY A PROBABLE ROOT CAUSE. AT THIS TIME, THE NTSB HAS CUSTODY OF THE RELEVANT PARTS AND THE INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.