<< >> NASA ASRS Report 150551, July 1990

Cabin attendant detected and extinguished a paper fire in the lav of an air carrier medium large transport cruising at FL330.

Attributes
ACN	150551
Time
Date	199007
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ama
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 10000
ASRS Report	150551
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

F/a reported by phone smoke and small flames from 2 rolls of toilet paper in aft right lav, and almost immediately (less than one min) that coffee poured on toilet paper had extinguished the fire. Examination revealed no source of heat or ignition from aircraft systems and damage was confirmed to charred toilet paper, so flight continued to destination. Fast action by F/as, in spite of inoperative smoke detector, with automatic fire extinguisher, prevented serious problems. Perhaps needed is a method to prohibit passenger matches on no smoke flts like this and install automatic sprinkler in entire lav.

Related reports:

• A330 captain is awakened from rest break by the lead flight ...
• A B737-300 flight attendant reported smoke in the aft lav ap...
• A B777's oven caught fire in flight; so a flight attendant e...
• A B757-200 flight attendant reports flames originating in th...
• Cabin attendant reports orderly evacuate/evacuation of a sup...
• A pilot reported that while taxiing to the gate he was notif...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT DETECTED AND EXTINGUISHED A PAPER FIRE IN THE LAV OF AN ACR MLG CRUISING AT FL330.

Narrative: F/A RPTED BY PHONE SMOKE AND SMALL FLAMES FROM 2 ROLLS OF TOILET PAPER IN AFT R LAV, AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY (LESS THAN ONE MIN) THAT COFFEE POURED ON TOILET PAPER HAD EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. EXAMINATION REVEALED NO SOURCE OF HEAT OR IGNITION FROM ACFT SYSTEMS AND DAMAGE WAS CONFIRMED TO CHARRED TOILET PAPER, SO FLT CONTINUED TO DEST. FAST ACTION BY F/AS, IN SPITE OF INOP SMOKE DETECTOR, WITH AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER, PREVENTED SERIOUS PROBS. PERHAPS NEEDED IS A METHOD TO PROHIBIT PAX MATCHES ON NO SMOKE FLTS LIKE THIS AND INSTALL AUTO SPRINKLER IN ENTIRE LAV.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.