Service difficulty report · Light · Boeing 747422

Difficulty date
February 21, 2001
Submitted
March 21, 2001
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N173UA
Make and model
Boeing 747422
Aircraft serial
24380
Aircraft time
44,845 hours, 4,901 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW4056
Part
Light
Condition
Shorted
Location
Cockpit
Component
Switch
Component part number
D4550701
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
N
Precautionary procedure
A

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

APU FIRE HANDLE LIGHT ON INTERMITTENLY, ALSO EICAS MESSAGE BUT NO FIRE WARNING AURAL CREW DIVERTING. *S/D* INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT THE INTERMITTENT FLICKERING OF THE APU FIRE HANDLE, ALSO KNOWN AS FIRE EXTINGUISHING SWITCH ASSEMBLY, APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY SOME METAL SHAVINGS DROPPED INTO THE WIRE INTEGRATION UNIT (WIU). THE CULPRIT WAS APPARENTLY CONTACTING THE WIU POSTS ON AND OFF CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO FLICKER. SINCE THE AREA HAD BEEN CLEANED UP, HOWEVER THE AIRPLANE HAS BEEN FLYING WITHOUT DISPLAYING THAT ANOMALY.