Engine/APU on Fire: Guidance for Controllers

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Article Information
Category:	Fire Smoke and Fumes
Content source:	SKYbrary
Content control:	EUROCONTROL

There is no set of ready out-of-the-box rules to be followed universally. As with any unusual or emergency situation, controllers should exercise their best judgment and expertise when dealing with engine failure situations. A generic checklist for handling unusual situations is readily available from EUROCONTROL but it is not intended to be exhaustive and is best used in conjunction with local ATC procedures.

Contents 1 Description 2 Useful to Know 3 Anticipated Impact on Crew 4 What to Expect 5 What to Provide 6 Defenses 7 Related Articles 8 Accidents and Incidents 9 Further Reading

Description

This article provides guidance for controllers on what to expect and how to act when dealing with the effects of fire on the aircraft engine(s) / Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) There are some considerations which will enable the controller, not only to provide as much support as possible to the aircraft concerned, but also maintain the safety of other aircraft in the vicinity and of the ATC service provision in general.

Useful to Know

Fire in the air is one of the most hazardous situations that a flight crew can be faced with. A fire can lead to the catastrophic loss of that aircraft within a very short period of time.

The engine fire is normally detected in a timely fashion and in most cases, contained satisfactorily by the aircraft fire detection and suppression systems. However, in certain circumstances (e.g. an explosive breakup of the turbine), the nature of the fire is such that onboard systems may not be able to contain the fire and it may spread to the wing and/or fuselage. Heat from such fire could cause deformation of wing surfaces, affect the aircraft systems, and ultimately compromise the structural integrity of the aircraft leading to loss of control.

Where an engine fire has been successfully contained, there is still a risk that the fire may reignite and therefore it is still advisable for the crew to land the aircraft as soon as possible and allow fire crews and technical personnel to carry out an inspection of the engine.

Anticipated Impact on Crew

A wide range of practical problems could arise in the cockpit following an engine failure associated with:

• High workload - Such scenarios are associated with intense workload, the crew will carry out the appropriate engine on fire drills.
• Engine shutdown - Normally the fire drills require shutting down the engine, and cutting off fuel and electrical supply to the engine. The next procedure is firing extinguishant into the engine and conducting visual inspection (if possible) on the affected engine (by a member of the cabin or flight crew). It should be noted that an engine on fire could still produce thrust, it is a critical element to consider when dealing with engine fire emergencies on single engine aircraft. In addition, it should be noted also that historically there were cases of improper identification of the problematic engine followed by wrong engine shutdown.
• Announcing the problem - the crew will communicate the problem to ATC, non-standard phraseology should be avoided an emergency (MAYDAY) or urgency (PAN PAN) call should be made.
• Seeking information and deciding on course of action - the crew will need any information available regarding adjacent aerodromes and weather conditions if the they decide to proceed and land at the nearest suitable aerodrome.

What to Expect

• Abandoned take-off - if the fire is identified prior V₁, the crew might call to abort the take-off roll.
• Emergency landing - if the fire occurred after V₁, V_r or during any other airborne phase of the flight the crew will normally carry out an emergency landing on the most suitable airfield.
• Engine failure - a malfunction associated with fire could render the engine inoperative. Critical to the emergency procedures that should be followed is what type of aircraft is involved - single or multi engine.
• High rate of descent - initiating high/maximum rate of descent and diversion to nearest airfield.
• Smoke or Fire in the Cockpit - possible intrusion of smoke and fire in the cockpit or the cabin with the associated communication problems due to sound distortion caused by donning of oxygen masks.
• Pressurisation problems - due to the engine fire/engine shutdown, the aircraft might not be able to stay pressurised. Gradual or slow depressurisation are most commonly expected pressurisation problems in this scenario.

What to Provide

Best practice embedded in the ASSIST principle could be followed (A - Acknowledge; S - Separate, S - Silence; I - Inform, S - Support, T - Time):

A - acknowledge the problem (the declared malfunction and emergency if applicable), ask for the crews’ intentions when the situation permits

S - separate the aircraft from other traffic and allow room to maneuver

S - silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use separate frequency where possible;

I - inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or it is near their areas of responsibility; inform your supervisor and relay the flight crew’s intentions

S - support the flight with any information requested and deemed necessary. Provide information and details about the next suitable aerodrome(s). If necessary inform the crew of the minimum safe altitude.

T - provide time for the crew to assess the situation, don’t press with non urgent matters.

The controller should be prepared to:

• Acknowledge emergency on RTF
• Inform the crew about next suitable aerodrome and provide alternate aerodrome details and weather information as soon as possible
• Ask for number of Persons On Board (POB)
• Ask if there are dangerous goods on board
• Inform landing aerodrome of the inbound traffic with engine/APU on fire
• Inform the crew if fire/smoke is observed
• Offer pilot extended final
• Clear RWY according to local instructions
• Keep safety strip clear
• Do not allow go-around due to ATC reasons
• Expect overheated brakes and burst tire
• Expect blocked runway
• Expect positioning of the aircraft with the burning engine downwind on the runway and immediate evacuation
• Ensure that towing equipment is on stand-by as appropriate
• In case of forced landing, record last known position and time

Defenses

• Personal Awareness - ATCOs should always be monitoring the course and altitude of traffic in his/her sector. Being constantly aware of any ongoing deviations should provide precious time for vectoring of nearby traffic. If there are any uncertainties - verify until there is no doubt.
• Adequate Reaction - Some of the possible actions: transfer all other aircraft to another frequency (possible broadcast to all stations to increase awareness); leave the emergency traffic on the current frequency; increase the volume of the receiver; have a colleague (a separate pair of ears) to also listen to all transmissions from the aircraft.
• Technological Limitations - Try to keep aircraft within radar cover. Have in mind the features of the existing radar system.
• Organisational Awareness - The fast provision of ATCOs during emergency situations should be an objective at administrative level. Periodic training and drills are likely to improve intra-organisational coordination.

Related Articles

• In Flight Fire
• Wing Fire
• In-Flight Fire: Guidance for Flight Crews
• In-Flight Fire: Guidance for Controllers
• Engine Fire Protection
• Aircraft Fire Extinguishing Systems
• Uncontained Engine Failure
• Unexpected Events Training (OGHFA BN)
• Pressurisation Problems: Guidance for Controllers

Accidents and Incidents

The following events involved failure of the APU and/or APU fire:

• E145, Kemi-Tornio Finland 2008 (FIRE HF AW) (On 11 December 2008 an EMB 145 being operated by Finnish Commuter Airlines on a scheduled passenger flight caught fire during the taxi in after a night landing after the APU failed to start and a major electrical power failure occurred simultaneously. The fire was not detected until after the aircraft arrived on stand when, with the passengers still on board, a member of the ground crew saw signs of fire at the back of the aircraft. The aircraft’s own fire suppression system was successfully used to extinguish the fire, the passengers left the aircraft and there were no injuries and only minor damage to the aircraft.)

Further Reading

• Guidelines for Controller Training in the Handling of Unusual/Emergency Situations, EUROCONTROL
• ATSB Report: Evacuation Commands for Optimal Passenger Management