What happened
On 16 February 2016, during a scheduled passenger flight preparation at a UAE international airport, a fire broke out involving a hydrant fueling vehicle. The aircraft, an Airbus model, was undergoing refueling when the operator noticed thick black smoke emerging from the engine compartment of the Mercedes Benz AMD-17 dispenser.
At the time of the incident, approximately 163,057 liters of fuel had already been transferred. The operator immediately engaged the deadman control and attempted to suppress the flames with a portable extinguisher. While the airport rescue and firefighting teams eventually extinguished the blaze, the fire caused damage to the fueling vehicle. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft was subsequently cleared to continue its mission after being refueled by a different vehicle.
The investigation
The GCAA AAIS conducted a safety study to analyze the root causes of the fire and evaluate the broader regulatory environment regarding fuel suppliers. The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the AMD-17 vehicle and the oversight protocols between the airline and its fuel provider.
Investigators examined the vehicle's transmission system and found that the automatic gearbox had been left in the 'Drive' position while the parking brake was engaged. This configuration caused the transmission to overheat, leading to the release of hot oil that ignited under the driver's cabin. The study also reviewed international precedents of fueling-related fires to identify systemic risks.
Findings
- The primary cause of the fire was the automatic transmission overheating due to the vehicle being left in 'Drive' mode while stationary.
- The fueling vehicle's design lacked a safety interlock to prevent fueling when the gear selector was not in 'Neutral'.
- The service level agreement between the air operator and the fuel supplier was primarily commercial and lacked specific safety performance indicators or risk management protocols.
- Existing regulatory frameworks in the UAE did not sufficiently mandate oversight of third-party fueling agents by aerodrome operators or air carriers.
- The airline's audit process, while compliant with IATA Fuel Quality Pool standards, focused on fuel quality rather than the operational safety and equipment condition of the supplier's fleet.