What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
13 Feb 2012 about 0630 at the greenville spartenburg airport. Pilot attempted to start the APU. It would not start. 1st officer returned from the walk around inspection and informed the pilot he could hear a slow ignitor firing. 1st officer attempted to start the APU, a second time, while the pilot listen for the a slow start and verified the APU door operations. APU RPM never got above 6% and the temp was getting close to redline. The crew determined that the battery was weak and requested ground power. After about 30 min. A 3rd attempt was made. This time the APU RPM never got above 6% but the temp did hit redline. Crew stopped the attempt. The captian phoned maintenance. While captain was on the phone, a ramp worker came and notified the crew there was a fire. Crew departed the plane and observed white smoke coming from the APU door. Requested ground lead contact the fire department and then proceded to walk around the aircraft to observe the APU exhaust. The crew discovered there had been a fire and a piece of the cowl had caught fire. Fire department arrived and discovered the fire was out and there was no smoke damage to the cabin area.
As the FAA filed it
13 FEB 2012 ABOUT 0630 AT THE GREENVILLE SPARTENBURG AIRPORT.PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START THE APU. IT WOULD NOT START. 1ST OFFICER RETURNED FROM THE WALK AROUND INSPECTION AND INFORMED THE PILOT HE COULD HEAR A SLOW IGNITOR FIRING. 1ST OFFICER ATTEMPTED TO START THE APU, A SECOND TIME, WHILE THE PILOT LISTEN FOR THE A SLOW START AND VERIFIED THE APU DOOR OPERATIONS. APU RPM NEVER GOT ABOVE 6% AND THE TEMP WAS GETTING CLOSE TO REDLINE.THE CREW DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY WAS WEAK AND REQUESTED GROUND POWER. AFTER ABOUT 30 MIN. A 3RD ATTEMPT WAS MADE. THIS TIME THE APU RPM NEVER GOT ABOVE 6% BUT THE TEMP DID HIT REDLINE. CREW STOPPED THE ATTEMPT. THE CAPTIAN PHONED MAINTENANCE. WHILE CAPTAIN WAS ON THE PHONE, A RAMP WORKER CAME AND NOTIFIED THE CREW THERE WAS A FIRE. CREW DEPARTED THE PLANE AND OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE APU DOOR. REQUESTED GROUND LEAD CONTACT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN PROCEDED TO WALK AROUND THE AIRCRAFT TO OBSERVE THE APU EXHAUST. THE CREW DISCOVERED THERE HAD BEEN A FIRE AND A PIECE OF THE COWL HAD CAUGHT FIRE.FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND DISCOVERED THE FIRE WAS OUT AND THERE WAS NO SMOKE DAMAGE TO THE CABIN AREA.
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