SALT LAKE CITY, UT, USA
N530DA
BOEING 727-232
THE CREW HEARD A MUFFLED EXPLOSION & SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE VENT NEAR SEAT 3-D WHILE ACFT WAS PARKKED AT GATE. LOCATION OF FIRE PREVENTED CREW FROM RETURNING TO COCKPIT TO NOTIFY CFR & ILLUMINATE EMERG FLOOR LIGHTING. PASSENGERS & CREW EVACUATED ACFT. SECOND OFFICER, LAST TO LEAVE, COULD NOT REACH REAR AIRSTAIRS & EXITED VIA EMERG WINDOW EXIT AFTER HAVING DIFFICULTY IN LOCATING AN EXIT BECAUSE OF SMOKE. A MECHANIC NOTED LOW PASSENGER OXYGEN SUPPLY DURING PREFLIGHT & REPLACED OXYGEN CYLINDERS. WHILE EXITING THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP BAY THE MECHANIC SAW A WHITE FLASH ENGULF THE OXYGEN SYSTEM FLOW CONTROL UNIT. HE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE CFR NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE USING A HAND HELD RADIO TO NO AVAIL. THE PASSENGER OXYGEN SYSTEM HAD 6 LOW OXYGEN QUANTITY MAINTENANCE WRITE-UPS DURING PREVIOUS 30 DAYS BUT WAS NOT 'FLAGGED' BY COMPANY AUTOMATED TREND ANALYSIS PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE JOB TITLE OF THE PERSON ENTERING THE WRITE-UPS. INSPECTION OF DELTA'S FLEET REVEALED 35 OXYGEN SYSTEM LEAKS ON OTHER ACFT.
A FIRE WHICH STARTED IN THE PASSENGER OXYGEN SYSTEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF DELTA AIRLINES TO RECOGNIZE, ATTEND TO AND CORRECT REPEATED LEAKS IN THE OXYGEN SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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