Fire in-flight

Fire on board the flight is one of the most dangerous emergencies. It is the fourth leading cause of commercial aviation fatalities. In-flight fire may originate from aircraft engines, cargo-holds, inside the toilets and galley areas where there are many combustible materials and electrical circuits. The inhalation of toxic smoke emission or fumes from the burning materials in an enclosed area can cause incapacitation and life-threatening.  

While the crewmembers are trained to fight fire, time is a critical factor to bring the situation to a safe level. Once the fire is uncontrollable the pilots may have no other options but to land the aircraft at the nearest airport. The situation can be very critical if the flight is across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans where airports are hours away. To minimise this horrifying situation, aviation regulators are now imposing better smoke detectors and extinguishers to be placed in all aircraft toilets, cargo-holds and the use of less flammable material in the cabins.

Despite measures being taken, it remains an unresolved problem to prevent aircraft fire. While engine fire is one of cause of fatalities, commercials airlines are still experiencing fire that originates from the toilets. Many smokers are still being caught hiding in the toilets tampering the smoke detectors to satisfy their desire, compromising safety and choose not to realise the gravely danger that they are placing everyone into. Lighting fire in the metal tube with compressed air that carries tons of explosive liquid flying above 30,000 ft sea level is unthinkable. Therefore, it is not surprising that aviation regulators view this act as a serious offence and that the airlines could be fined if the matter is not reported to the authorities. Varig Flight 820 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varig_Flight_820  relates how horrifying when hidden toilets fire that crewmembers were unable to contain and extinguish completely that eventually resulted in fatalities. Fortunately, toilet fire caused by cigarettes is rare as the smoke goes into the air-condition ducts that could be smelled from the cabin air-vents, giving the crewmembers an early warning and opportunity to address the issue promptly. Once the fire goes out of control during flight, the escape route is ZERO.

     

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