NHTSA Complaint #10239647 — 2007 ORION VII

A PORT AUTHORITY OWNED 2006 ORION VI DIESEL POWERED AIRPORT SHUTTLE BUS WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE ON 6/28/08 AT ABOUT 12:00 A.M. FORTUNATELY THE BUS WAS NOT CARRYING PASSENGERS AT THE TIME, AS THE FIRE SPREAD QUICKLY AND DESTROYED THE BUS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ON-BOARD FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM THAT DISCHARGED AGENT INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION BY A FORENSIC ENGINEER WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN DIESEL FIRES, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE WEAR AND SHORTING OF WIRES FROM THE ALTERNATOR THAT WERE CHAFFING ON THE #5 CYLINDER DIESEL INJECTOR LINE. UPON REMOVAL IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LINE WAS MELTED AND A HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE STEEL TUBE ALLOWING THE SPRAYING OF HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL FUEL. UPON INVESTIGATING OTHER BUSES OF THE SAME MANUFACTURING GROUP APPROXIMATELY 15 OUT OF 17 BUSES DISPLAYED AT LEAST SOME WEAR, AND 7 HAD PHYSICAL GROOVING ON THE INJECTOR LINE. *TR