What happened
On 24 December 2014, an Airbus A380-861, registration A6-EEC, was involved in a serious incident at Manchester Airport during a commercial passenger flight. Following the shutdown of the engines, a small fire was identified on the exhaust nozzle of the number 4 engine. The fire was successfully suppressed using a hand-held fire extinguisher. There were no injuries reported among the 378 passengers or the 26 crew members on board, and the aircraft sustained no damage. All occupants were able to disembark the aircraft without incident.
The investigation
An investigation conducted by the aircraft operator identified the origin of the fire as a fuel leak occurring at the pylon Zone F fuel double-walled junction. The inquiry established that a drainage pipe, which was designed to capture any leaked fuel and route it to an overboard drain, was obstructed. Because this pipe was blocked, the leaking fuel was unable to exit the system and instead dripped from the pylon area directly onto the hot surface of the exhaust nozzle, igniting the fire.
Findings
- The primary cause of the fire was a fuel leak at the pylon Zone F fuel double-walled junction.
- A blockage in the pipe intended to direct leaked fuel to an overboard drain prevented the fuel from being safely diverted.
- The accumulation of fuel on the hot engine exhaust nozzle led to the observed external fire.