Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mineapolis St. Paul Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
St. Paul, Minnesota 55111
Sunday, January 20, 1991 20:45 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLIGHT CREW WAS INFORMED BY THE TOWER OF A FIRE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF. THE FIRE PRECEEDED BY UTILIZING THE AUXILARY POWER UNIT (APU) FOR A MAIN ENGINE START. THE MAIN ENGINE START WAS ABORTED WHEN THE APU FAILED TO DELIVER SUFFICIENT BLEED AIR PRESSURE. A POST INCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE APU DISCLOSED A LIBERATED TURBINE EXDUCER BLADE WHICH CAUSED AN IMBALANCE OF THE TURBINE WHEEL, ALLOWING SMOPKE AND FLAMES TO ESCAPE FROM THE APU EXHAUST ATOP THE RIGHT WING ROOT. THERE HAS BEEN 7 SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORTS AND 4 ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXDUCER FAILURES IN THIS MODEL APU IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE'S AUXILIARY POWER UNIT, AND THE INADEQUATE COMPONENT PRODUCED BY THE MANUFACTURER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 1/20/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2045 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | ST. PAUL |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 55111 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MINEAPOLIS ST. PAUL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MSP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 841 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2050 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 841 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 44 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5020 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44057 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 9:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N295US |
| NTSB Number | CHI91IA078 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 727-251 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 727-251 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21506 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 172000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 153 |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FIRST SECURITY BANK OF UTAH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 79 S. MAIN ST. P. O. BOX 30007 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84130 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | DEPT. C-5000 5101NORTHWEST DR. |
| Operator City | ST. PAUL |
| Operator State | MN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 55111 |
| Operator Code | NW |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2045 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PHL |
| Destination City | PHILADELPHIA |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |