The Firefighter as Passenger in an In-Flight Fire Emergency

By John McLoughlin

Unlike the occasional airline flight where you might hear a request for a medical professional to assist the crew with a medical issue, you will never hear, “Is there a firefighter onboard?” Panic at 35,000 feet would be a bad first step. Without a doubt, in-flight fires have always been a major concern of the airline industry, and the advent of increased electronic items onboard the aircraft has substantially increased this concern. Therefore, a trained firefighter, who already possesses certain skills and knows the procedures and the onboard equipment for fighting in-flight fires, would certainly be beneficial in such an emergency.

Obviously, the seriousness of in-flight emergencies can differ according to type. For example, smoke in the aircraft cabin could be from an equipment problem the pilots can isolate and control, such as the overheating of the air-conditioning system. A fire in the aircraft cabin is a completely different scenario and may need a firefighter’s experience and training. Time is of the essence, and the situation likely will be unlike any other fire to which you responded. There is no “surround and drown” option. You must quickly win this one!

(1) Aircraft water and halon fire extinguishers. (Photos by author.)

One example of the utmost necessity for quick response is the fatal flight of Swissair MD-11 on September 2, 1998, from JFK airport in New York City. Shortly after taking off, there was an interior fire, and it was estimated that the cabin became nonsurvivable in 16 minutes. All of the 229 people onboard perished.

The steps taken during an in-flight fire are crucial. You, as a firefighter, could take certain steps that would contribute significantly in this unlikely event. Identifying yourself as a trained firefighter to a uniformed flight crew member could be an important resource to the crew. Your assistance may not be needed, but at least you informed them that you are available.

Equipment Onboard

Your first line of defense would be the aircraft’s handheld fire extinguishers. The flight attendants know where they are stored. Ask them to get all the available extinguishers immediately. The most common aircraft extinguisher is a handheld halon, which operates like a standard dry chemical extinguisher. Even though halon has not been manufactured since 1994, the aviation industry was granted an exemption to use it. As you probably know, halon is a Class BC extinguisher with limited Class A capabilities. It works by interrupting the chemical reaction of the fire. It is discharged mostly as a liquid that quickly vaporizes. The vaporized halon is effective on Classes B and C fires and has a range of approximately 10 feet. Halon will initially knock down a Class A fire but will not provide much protection from reignition. You need to follow up Class A fires with a nonflammable liquid. Hopefully, the aircraft will have water fire extinguishers available.

The aircraft water fire extinguishers are very different from those with which you are familiar (photo 1). The extinguisher is pressurized using a carbon dioxide (CO₂) cartridge that you must activate before discharging the water.

(2) Rotate the handle clockwise to charge the extinguisher.

To operate the water extinguisher, do the following:

1. Rotate the handle clockwise as far as it will go. This will cause the CO₂ cartridge in the handle to pressurize the water extinguisher. (You might hear the CO₂ pressurizing the water chamber, and the handle will get cold.)
2. Hold the extinguisher upright and aim at the base of the fire.
3. To discharge water, squeeze the lever on top of the extinguisher with your thumb.

A convenient aspect about the water extinguisher is that you can recharge it in flight. To recharge it, first ensure that all of the pressure is out of the unit. Unscrew the handle and the top of the extinguisher. Fill the canister with water and screw the top back on. Replace the CO₂ cartridge in the handle. You may be able to obtain a new cartridge from a life vest on the aircraft that is not needed, depending on the type of life vest. Ask a uniformed crew member for assistance.

You can also use carbonated soft drinks and bottled water as extinguishing agents. Shaking carbonated soft drinks before opening them may help. These alternative devices can be helpful resources in an impending crisis.

Scenarios

Battery fire. The following strategy could be used if a high-energy battery fire occurs. This would be a Class D fire and may be difficult to control. Quickly cooling the battery is critical. Promptly put water (or other nonflammable liquids) on the battery to cool it and prevent reignition or propagation of the fire to the adjacent cells of the battery pack.¹ Use as much water and other nonflammable liquids as possible to extinguish the fire. The more water on and around the battery, the better. Obviously, remove all flammable materials away from the battery. If necessary, move the battery to a safe location. Have the flight crew help you find such a place.

One safe location would be an aluminum serving cart and tray. Empty the serving cart of its contents first, and roll the cart to the location of the battery. Use the metal tray/drink insert (the metal bin that fits in the serving cart and holds the soft drinks and ice) to scoop up the battery and put it in the serving cart. Ensure that the cart is clearly away from the cockpit and in a spot where it can be monitored.

(3) Squeeze the lever on top of the extinguisher to discharge water.

Along with these interventions, the flight crew in the cabin will be giving instructions to the passengers concerning possible smoke and appropriate procedures. Throughout these actions, brace yourself. The pilot will be aggressively maneuvering the aircraft to an airport.

Cabin smoke. If smoke is in the cabin, it would seem that the cabin oxygen masks would be useful, but the passenger oxygen masks will not be deployed. They will not help in this situation. They provide supplemental oxygen only when the cabin pressure is low. There should be personal breathing equipment (PBE) onboard. It would not be practicable to cover the operation of this equipment in this article. Ask a flight attendant to help you with it. A few important things to know about the PBE, though, is that it can be used only once and by one person only. It will function for about 15 minutes.

Do not handle aircraft emergency equipment unless it is an extreme emergency, and introduce yourself to the flight attendant. Unauthorized handling of aircraft emergency equipment is a felony. The airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration will prosecute for unauthorized handling of the equipment.

(4) The aircraft aluminum serving cart.

Reference

1. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular 20-42D FAA AC 20-42D, “Hand Fire Extinguishers for Use in Aircraft”

JOHN MCLOUGHLIN is a B-767 captain at American Airlines and has more than 30 years of commercial flying experience. He is a member of the pilot’s union safety committee. He was previously a volunteer firefighter for 15 years and a captain of Engine 3 of the Hauppauge (NY) Fire Department. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Association ARFF committee, a participant in the ARFF Working Group, and a member of the validation committee for IFSTA Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, 6th edition.

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