What happened
On March 25, 2008, at 0822 Zulu, an Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747-300, registered TF-ARS, was performing a landing rollout at Dhaka International Airport. During the rollout, the tower notified the flightcrew that smoke and flames were visible coming from the aircraft.
The crew taxied the aircraft away from the runway, at which point an engine fire warning was triggered for the number three engine. The crew executed engine fire procedures and discharged both fire bottles; however, the fire remained active. After the second bottle was discharged, the crew was informed that the smoke and flames were increasing, leading to an order for an evacuation. There were no injuries resulting from the event.
The investigation
Investigators identified the source of the fire as a fuel leak originating from the coupling connection between the number three fuel tank and the main fuel line that connects the tank to the pylon. Upon removal of the fuel line, it was discovered that one of the two required retaining rings was missing. Records indicated that maintenance had been performed on the number three tank fuel line connection to replace an o-ring six months before the accident.