CRJ200 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS STRONG FUEL ODORS DURING APPROACH AFTER STARTING THE APU FOR AIRFRAME DEICING. APU IS SECURED AND FUMES GO AWAY.

Narrative

DURING DSCNT TO LNDG ICING CONDITIONS WERE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE RWY. THE PM STARTED THE APU TO TAKE OVER CTL OF THE ECS. THE PM MONITORED THE APU START AND NOTICED A HUNG START. THE PM MANUALLY STOPPED THE APU START SEQUENCE. AFTER WAITING A FEW MINS; THE PM REATTEMPTED A START OF THE APU AND WAS SUCCESSFUL AND NORMAL. AFTER XFERRING THE BLEEDS TO THE APU; THE PM AND I NOTICED THE PRESENCE OF A FUEL ODOR INSIDE THE FLT DECK AREA. IMMEDIATELY AFTER; WE RECEIVED A CABIN CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT INQUIRING ABOUT THE SMELL. SHE WAS RECEIVING THE SAME SMELL AND SHE SAID THE PAX WERE ALSO. THE PM AND THE FLT ATTENDANT HUNG UP AND AT THIS TIME WE WERE AT APPROX A 5 MI FINAL. THE PM SHUT THE APU DOWN AND REFED THE POH FOR THE UNPRESSURIZED LNDG CHKLIST. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE CHKLIST; THE SMELL WENT AWAY. THE PM THEN CONTACTED TWR TO NOTIFY AND REQUEST EMER EQUIP MEET US ON THE GND AND ESCORT US TO THE GATE. AFTER LNDG; THE PM TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND I COMPLETED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST; LEAVING THE APU OFF. THE CAPT THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THE FLT ATTENDANT TO ENSURE THE CABIN WAS IN A SUITABLE CONDITION; WHICH IT WAS. I THEN MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE SIT. I THEN CONTACTED MAINT TO REQUEST THEM TO MEET US AT THE GATE TO INSPECT THE ACFT. WE THEN TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.