Description

On July 30 2008, a Boeing 777-200 being operated by Vietnam Airlines on a scheduled passenger flight landed at Narita in daylight and normal visibility and shortly afterwards experienced a right engine fire warning with the appropriate crew response following. Subsequently, after the aircraft had arrived at the parking stand and all passengers and crewmembers had left the aircraft, the right engine caught fire again and this fire was extinguished by the Airport RFFS who were already in attendance. There were no injuries and the aircraft sustained only minor damage.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Japan TSB. The Investigation noted that in the cruise en route to Tokyo, the flight crew had observed cautions in respect of the right hand engine Fire Loop and in respect of ‘overheat circuit R2’ but there were no other indications and it was concluded that something was probably faulty in the engine fire sensing system.

The subsequent right hand engine fire after landing was indicated by a fire warning and it was concluded that fuel had leaked from the engine 2 fuel supply hose coupling and that it was highly probable that the leaking fuel would have spread in the area of the junction box during taxiing, which had then ignited. The time when the fuel started to leak could not be determined but it was considered highly probable that it was during the preceding flight and that the flow of air in flight made it difficult for the leaking fuel to ignite, whereas when the aircraft moved in a tailwind on the taxiway after landing and the flow of air inside the engine had become slower, this would have provided a scenario more favourable to ignition.