A320
Situational Awareness
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Maintenance Action
Equipment / Tooling
While troubleshooting the Aircraft left and Right window anti-ice and ECAM messages; I turned power off from the flight deck; external power button and battery 1 and 2; from inside cockpit. After 5 minutes; I turned power on and batteries on. After the airplane rebooted; my messages had cleared. All system were active; and I waited in flight deck; to see if window anti-ice messages returned. After approximately 5 minutes; I saw smoke at 12 o'clock; outside Aircraft. I disconnected external power; and ran outside to nose. I saw a small flame and thick smoke at external power cord to aircraft connection. I pulled power cord off the aircraft; and smoke abated. No fire. I inspected left forward and aft electronics and equipment bay; right electronics and equipment bay; and nose electronics and equipment bay. No further smoke noted. I immediately informed the supervisor and lead. Cause pointed to worn gate power cable; per engineering.
Airbus 320 Maintenance Technician reported that external power cord malfunctioned.