WIX Archives

Re: APU and fuel spillage of Kee Bird

Posted by Jason Pence on Sat Oct 25, 2003 10:50:09 PM

In reply top Re: APU and fuel spillage of Kee Bird posted by John H on Sat Oct 25, 2003 07:30:09 PM

From what I was told, by someone who was there: The APU fuel pump diaphragm was rotten (Which evidently is a common issue on B-29's, and DG was told that before he ever left for Greenland). Thus, to run the APU, a fuel can was tie-wired to an overhead stringer. When DG decided to go high speed taxying over a rutted patch of snow and ice, the fuel sloshed out of the can, and onto the hot exhaust manifold of the APU. There was evidently no fire extinguisher in the APU compartment as well, or one that was inop or too small...

Rick Kriege also died on this trip, please don't forget.

I have some private thoughts about the way this "recovery" went, but I will keep them private.

Regards

Jason Pence


: If I remember right, it was a fuel can in the back left ne
: xt to the APU with its cap off, or something like that....
: It spilled onto the APU and ignited the fire. One of the p
: roblems when you are exhausted is your mind starts to forg
: et details....Studies have shown it's equivilent to being
: drunk.
:
: JH

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