SUPER 80 FLC HAS A RPT OF SMOKE AND A SMALL FLAME AT BASE OF #2 ENG WHILE TAXIING INTO GATE AT DFW. SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO NORMAL ENG SHUTDOWN WERE A FLICKERING INLET FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT AND LOSS OF 7 QUARTS OF ENG OIL. EMER VEHICLES WERE ON THE SCENE AT THE GATE AND SAID FIRE WAS OUT AFTER FOAMING ENG. EVAC CHKLIST WAS STOPPED.

Date: 1997-05 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SUPER 80 FLC HAS A RPT OF SMOKE AND A SMALL FLAME AT BASE OF #2 ENG WHILE TAXIING INTO GATE AT DFW. SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO NORMAL ENG SHUTDOWN WERE A FLICKERING INLET FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT AND LOSS OF 7 QUARTS OF ENG OIL. EMER VEHICLES WERE ON THE SCENE AT THE GATE AND SAID FIRE WAS OUT AFTER FOAMING ENG. EVAC CHKLIST WAS STOPPED.

Narrative

ATC FACILITY: DFW GND. LOCATION: DFW ARPT. UPON LNDG AT DFW RWY 35R; R INLET FUEL PRESSURE LOW LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF WHILE IN REVERSE. TURNED OFF RWY AT THE DIAGONAL TO INTERCEPT TXWY Z AND HEARD A SLIGHT BANG FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT. NOTICED R ENG OIL QUANTITY DECREASED TO APPROX 7 QUARTS. ALL OTHER INDICATIONS NORMAL. ENG WAS SHUT DOWN NORMALLY. DURING TAXI IN TWR INFORMED US THAT THE ACFT IN BACK OF US SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE BACK OF THE R ENG. WE THEN ASKED TWR FOR FURTHER VISUAL INFO SINCE WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATIONS OF FIRE IN THE COCKPIT. TWR THEN INFORMED US THAT THE ACFT IN BACK OF US SAID THE ENG WAS STILL SMOKING AND THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A SLIGHT FLAME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENG. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE R ENG FIRE HANDLE WAS PULLED AND THE #2 AGENT BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED. ACFT WAS TURNED INTO TERMINAL RAMP AND WE STOPPED SHORT OF GATE. THE EVAC CHKLIST WAS STARTED. GND PERSONNEL HOOKED UP TO THE ACFT AND INFORMED US THAT FOAM HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE ENG AND THAT FIRE RESCUE HAD CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY INDICATION OF FIRE. ONCE AGAIN WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INDICATION OF FIRE IN THE COCKPIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ACFT IS POWERED BY 2 JT-8D-217A ENGS. RPTR STATED THAT AFTER A MONTH HE DID RECEIVE INFO THAT THE #6 REAR CARBON SEAL HAD FAILED ON THE ENG; THUS THE LOSS OF OIL. HE SAID THAT HAD THIS OCCURRED INFLT THE ENG WOULD HAVE SEIZED FROM LOSS OF OIL TO THE REAR BEARINGS. THE FIRE WAS TERMED A 'POOL FIRE;' HOT OIL LAYING IN THE BASE OF THE HOT AFTER SECTION OF THE ENG. HE SAID THAT HE HAD EXPLAINED HIS ACTIONS IN NOT EVACING THE PAX TO THE NTSB. THE FACT THAT WHILE HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF USING THAT CHKLIST THE FIRE CHIEF STATED THAT ALL WAS WELL. THE CHIEF ALSO SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A CHANGE IN CFR PHILOSOPHY WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. BEFORE THIS PERIOD THE CFR PERSONNEL WOULD HAVE BEEN PULLING OPEN HATCHES AND DOORS TO EVAC SIMPLY ON THE BASIS OF THE FIRE THAT HAD EXISTED IN THE ENG. SINCE THEY SAW NO SMOKE OR FIRE IN THE CABIN IT WAS SAFER TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. THE PIC HAD BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS PRIOR TO THIS FLT THAT ONLY ON HIS SIGNAL WOULD THE PAX BE EVACED IN AN EMER. AN ADDED NOTE; THE CABIN ATTENDANT STOOD AT THE OPEN COCKPIT DOOR WITH HER INTERCOM PHONE IN HAND AND RELAYED ANY NECESSARY INFO TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT. SHE COULD SEE AND HEAR EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE COCKPIT AND THE PIC COULD COMMUNICATE WITH HER SIMPLY BY TURNING HIS HEAD. HE SAID IT 'WAS GREAT' FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.