Incident Overview
A flight crew was informed by the previous crew that the overheat light had illuminated upon landing when the brake temperature reached 650 degrees. An entry was made in the maintenance logbook, and maintenance personnel inspected the brakes before returning the airplane to service.
Sequence of Events
The subsequent flight leg was uneventful until landing. After the aircraft landed and turned off the runway, the crew observed that the brake temperature was increasing rapidly. As the airplane entered the ramp area, the brake temperature warning light illuminated.
Crew Actions
The first officer asked tower personnel if any smoke was visible from the left wheel well. Tower responded, "Negative." The first officer then requested the fire department to respond and was instructed to stop the aircraft short of the gate.
Fire and Damage
Shortly after stopping, the fuse plugs melted on both left tires, and the brakes caught fire. The brake temperature gauge failed, leaving the crew unaware of the brake fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. They did not inform the crew that a brake fire had occurred but advised that the brake temperature had reached as high as 1200 degrees Celsius and had been cooled to below 200 degrees Celsius.
Damage Assessment and Maintenance
In addition to the melted fuse plugs and deflated tires, the paint on the left main landing gear was charred and blistered. The landing gear was subsequently replaced. Tests conducted on the brake fluid and the dual anti-skid control modules revealed no anomalies.