Air Busan cabin fire & evacuation

[jb747]

Korea has lost another aircraft, though thankfully all got off safely. Looking at the video, it would appear that a fire has started towards the rear of the cabin, during pushback. Looks to have been a reasonably ordered evacuation, though still some people carrying bags. But, the fire has progressed along the top of the fuselage, and the aircraft has been destroyed. The cause will be interesting, but my guess will be some form of electrical equipment.

 

[kpc]

 

[XWu]

Initial report suggest it’s a battery fire in the luggage stored in overhead compartment

Also reports says the FA told passengers to stay put (seat belt on as they were about to push off) when they tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, and that:
1. The order to evacuate wasn’t from the pilot or FA, but pushed by pax fleeing from the back of the cabin (one of the emergency door was open by pax while the other by a FA)
2. Until the pax were moving forward, the other pax in the front of the plane weren’t even aware of the fire

Several pax were unhappy the lack of coordination from FA and pilot control, including reminder of not taking bags when evacuating (definitely not the textbook exercise seen on the Japanese incident 12 months prior with flight 516)

A novice question for those who worked on commercial planes:, a usual order of business when there is a fire found in a building is to remove or isolate burning item or room, alert, contain and evacuate/extinguish, Any difference for a fire on pax planes?

 

[markis10]

Sounds like a LiPo fire, not much point trying to put that out with a fire extinguisher be it BCF or similar, Airbus have some suggestions

https://safetyfirst.airbus.com/lithium-batteries-safe-to-fly/#:~:text=Reacting%20to%20a%20Lithium%20battery,device%20that%20is%20emitting%20smoke.

 

[jb747]

None of which is surprising. The cabin crew should alert others as the first priority, otherwise the cabin crew at the front, and the pilots, would have no idea of what is happening.

I wonder if a window of time existed for a quick door opening (slide be damned) and out the door with it. Extremely lucky that it happened before take off.