Event Details


Title:Smoke emergency, Boeing 737-436, G-DOCH
Micro summary:This Boeing 737-436 diverted after detecting electrical smoke.
Event Time:2002-11-08 at 1458 UTC
File Name:2002-11-08-UK.pdf
Publishing Agency:Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB)
Publishing Country:United Kingdom
Report number:EW/C2002/11/02
Pages:18
Diversion Airport:London Heathrow Airport, London, England
Site of event:Climb
Departure:London Heathrow Airport, London, England, United Kingdom
Destination:
Airplane Type(s):Boeing 747-436
Flight Phase:Climb
Registration(s):G-DOCH
Operator(s):British Airways
Type of flight:Revenue
Occupants:74
Fatalities:0
Serious Injuries:0
Minor/Non-Injured:74
Other Injuries:0
Diverted to:London Heathrow Airport, London, England
Executive Summary:Whilst climbing through FL240 the flight crew noticed a small amount of smoke appear on the flight deck, accompanied by a smell of electrical burning. They decided to carry out a diversion but were hampered by difficulties in communications with the cabin crew and locating the appropriate checklist, since it was not clearly identified on the index page of the QRH. Fire damage had occurred to electrical wiring in the area of the 'drop-down' ceiling panel immediately aft of the flight deck door. A braided steel water supply hose to the forward galley had been attached by means of a simple electrical 'tie-wrap' to a wiring loom, and there was evidence of abrasion and arcing between the wires and the hose. This had resulted in the severing and shorting of a number of wires. It was determined that the hose was too long for this application and that the excess length had been looped through this overhead area and then secured by the tie-wrap to adjacent wire bundles. It was not conclusively determined when this had been done but it was most likely that the attachment was simply a shortterm expedient while systems were being disconnected and disassembled, and that the error was then missed during reassembly.
Learning Keywords:Operations - Cabin or Cockpit Smoke
Operations - Maintenance
Systems - Electrical
Close match:In-flight smoke and fire, Douglas DC-9-32, August 8, 2000
In-flight electrical fire, McDonnell Douglas MD-80, October 1, 2000
Fire near aft stairwell, Boeing 727-233, May 25, 2001
In-Flight Fire Leading to Collision with Water, Swissair Transport Limited, McDonnell Douglas MD-11 HB-IWF Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia 5 nm SW, 2 September 1998

 




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