What happened
While taxiing for departure on taxiway 'N', the crew of a DC-10 detected the smell of fuel inside the cabin. Simultaneously, the crew of a commuter flight taxiing behind the aircraft reported that the DC-10's right engine was on fire. Upon observing smoke from the cockpit window, the captain stopped the aircraft, shut down the engines, and ordered an evacuation.
Crash fire rescue personnel arrived to extinguish the fire. During the evacuation, passengers experienced general panic in the cabin, characterized by screaming and pushing. At the base of the escape chute, several passengers failed to clear the area because there was no personnel present to assist them in standing up or moving out of the way. Once outside, passengers remained on the tarmac without direction, as no one was present to guide them away from the aircraft. Some individuals remained near the bottom of the chute while others moved away in various directions.
The investigation
An examination of the number three engine revealed that the fuel/oil heat exchanger (part number 158210-11) had failed. This failure was caused by fretting wear between the baffle plate and the retaining slots in the casing, which resulted in a fuel leak. The investigation found no damage to the airframe or the engine components other than the failed heat exchanger.