Fighting Fires

An in-flight fire is most pilots greatest fear, surpassing even a mid-air collision. Although relatively rare, the unique combination of combustible materials and ignition sources available in the typical personal airplane means an in-flight fire must be dealt with quickly and decisively. Doing so usually means disabling systems to deprive the fire of its fuel or ignition sources, and employing a fire extinguisher to smother it. A quick landing, even if off-airport, may be necessary. The problem? Our cockpits feature an abundance of materials capable of sustaining a fire. Carpeting, insulation, upholstery and paper charts are present in even the most basic airplane. This is true even if every scrap of fabric has passed an FAA-approved burn test. Throw in a fuel line or two-whether routed through the fuel selector, flowing via a capillary line to a fuel pressure gauge, or resulting from the designers basic need to move fuel from the tanks to an engine-and youve got another, much more combustible material.

Key Takeaways:

• In-flight fires are a severe aviation emergency demanding immediate action (disabling systems, using an extinguisher, emergency landing) due to the abundance of combustible materials and fuel within aircraft cockpits.
• While both dry chemical and Halon extinguishers can suppress fires, dry chemical types are highly discouraged for aircraft use due to critical drawbacks: they significantly impair visibility, cause breathing difficulties, and leave corrosive residue.
• Halon extinguishers are the preferred choice for aircraft, offering effective fire suppression without these detrimental side effects; the FAA emphasizes that the toxic effects of the fire itself far outweigh any potential risks from Halon discharge.

Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->

See a mistake? Contact us.