Service difficulty report · Cooling Fan · Boeing 767201

Difficulty date
August 8, 2011
Submitted
August 9, 2011
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N246AY
Make and model
Boeing 767201
Aircraft serial
23898
Part
Cooling Fan
Part number
36169596
Condition
Failed
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B, S
Precautionary procedure
H, A

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

What was found

FLT 800 EN ROUTE. THE FLIGHT DIVERTED DUE TO WEATHER BELOW LANDING MINIMUMS. AFTER LANDING, THE CREW STARTED THE APU. THE APU THEN AUTO SHUTDOWN. NO COCKPIT INDICATION. SHORTLY AFTER, THE CABIN AND COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE. ON INSPECTION APU HAD NO OIL. MAINTENANCE REPLACED THE APU ASSEMBLY. COOLING FAN FAILURE. DEBRIS FROM THE FAILED COOLING FAN WAS INGESTED BY THE APU, CAUSING FOD DAMAGE TO BEARINGS. THE DAMAGED BEARINGS ALLOWED OIL TO BYPASS INTO THE APU BLEED SYSTEM, AND THEN DOWNSTREAM INTO THE AIRCRAFT.