You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Wednesday 23 October 1996 |
| Time: | 05:30 |
| Type: |  BAC One-Eleven 401AK |
| Owner/operator: | British Airways, opb Maersk Air |
| Registration: | G-BBME |
| MSN: | 066 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor, repaired |
| Location: | Birmingham Airport (BHX/EGBB) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Birmingham Airport (BHX/EGBB) |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was on the ramp with the flight crew on board, preparing for service. The first officer
had flown the aircraft the previous day and at that time the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) had been
designated unserviceable. In reviewing the Technical Log, the commander noted that the APU had now been entered as serviceable but to be used for engine starts only; he decided to start the APU, therefore, to check its performance. The first officer initiated the APU start cycle, which is largely automatic, but the process was interrupted when the ground engineer ran up the steps and requested that they shutdown the APU as it was making very odd noises. The crew cancelled the start sequence and the ground engineer then reported that flames had been seen coming from the APU exhaust and that it was smoking. The first officer performed the fire drill, firing the dedicated single shot extinguisher and requested Birmingham Ground Control for the attendance of the Fire services. The airport fire service attended rapidly, by which time there was no sign of fire but the APU exhaust was still smoking.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422faeae5274a13140007ab/dft_avsafety_pdf_501549.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/5922072 (Photo)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Mar-2025 19:35 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 27-Mar-2025 19:36 | ASN | Updated [Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation