What happened
On 5 January 2000, a Jetstream 4100, registration G-MAJA, arrived at Manchester International Airport on a domestic public transport flight. Following the completion of shutdown procedures, a ground power unit (GPU) was positioned near the right side of the aircraft's nose, and the power lead was connected to the aircraft's receptacle.
Upon starting the GPU, the engine emitted a significant amount of black smoke. Shortly thereafter, both the ground handling engineer and the pilot, observing reflections in a docking guidance mirror, noticed flames emerging from the area around the aircraft's ground power receptacle. The commander immediately initiated an evacuation of the 29 passengers and 3 crew members via the left-side exits.
While the ground engineer attempted to access a fire extinguisher, the crew coordinated the safe removal of all passengers to an upwind assembly point. The engineer eventually utilized an extinguisher from the GPU to suppress the flames.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and the ground equipment to determine the source of the ignition. The inspection of the Jetstream 4100 revealed that the paint surrounding the ground power receptacle had been scorched and covered in soot.
Further examination of the GPU power lead connector showed evidence of severe overheating, which had resulted in two of the four internal cables burning through. Records indicated that the electrical connector on this specific GPU had previously exhibited overheating issues. This fault had been reported to the maintenance organization responsible for the unit. Despite this prior history, the maintenance company had inspected the connector the day before the incident and certified the equipment as fit for service.