Fire, Smoke & Fumes

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Article Information
Category:	Fire Smoke and Fumes
Content source:	SKYbrary
Content control:	EUROCONTROL

Contents 1 Description 2 Articles in the Fire Smoke & Fumes category 2.1 Flight Technical 2.2 Airworthiness 2.3 Ground Operations 2.4 Fire in the Air 2.5 Accident and Serious Incident Reports 2.6 Further Reading

Description

Confirmed Fire on board an aircraft, especially when it is in flight, represents one of the most feared hazards in aviation. Fire in the air can ultimately lead to loss of control, either as a result of structural or control system failure, or again as a result of crew incapacitation; Fire on the ground can take hold rapidly and lead to significant casualties if evacuation and emergency response is not swift enough.

Both Smoke or Fumes, whether they are associated with Fire or not, can lead to passenger and crew incapacitation and will certainly raise concern and invite a response.

Finally, a Post Crash Fire following an aircraft accident accounted for approximately half of all fatalities in in the period 1999 - 2007 (CAP 776).

Articles in the Fire Smoke & Fumes category

Flight Technical

• Aircraft Fire Detection Systems: Automatic systems for detecting aircraft fires.
• Aircraft Fire Extinguishing Systems: Onboard systems designed to extinguish fires which occur either in the air or on the ground.
• Halon Fire Extinguishers
• Engine Fire Protection

Airworthiness

• Ageing Aircraft - Electrical Wiring
• Aircraft Fire Risk from Batteries Carried by Passengers

Ground Operations

• Refuelling & Defuelling Risks: The kerosene fuel used by turbine engine aircraft has a higher flash/ignition point than the aviation gasoline used by piston engine aircraft but there are still potential hazards. The primary risk is unintended ignition of fuel vapour.

Fire in the Air

See Fire in the Air and guidance for flight crew and air traffic controllers:

• In-Flight Fire: Guidance for Flight Crews
• In-Flight Fire: Guidance for Controllers

The special case of Wing Fire is usually the result of fuel fed fire originating in wing mounted engines

Fire in the aircaft cabin is covered in Cabin Fire

Accident and Serious Incident Reports

• Accident and Serious Incident Reports: FIRE: contains a selection of reports concerning events where Fire and/or Smoke and/or Fumes were a contributory factor.

Further Reading

• Airbus FOBN Cabin Operations - Cabin Smoke Awareness
• Airbus FOBN Cabin Operations - Managing In-flight Fire

FAA Research Reports

• Effects of In-flight Exposure of Aluminium and Composite Fuselage Materals
• Aircraft Battery Fire Safety
• Cargo Fire Control by Depressurisation
• Contaminated Insulation Flammability
• Effectiveness of Hand-Held Extinguishers Against Hidden Cabin Fires
• The Fire Safety Hazard of the Use of Flameless Ration Heaters On Board Commercial Aircraft