Narrative:

Lifeguard flight to ffz. Ambulatory patient and 2 flight nurses on board. I was observer/co-captain. At FL200 we smelled toxic fumes/smoke. Flight nurse detected heat around emergency exit. He pulled pockets away from bulkhead under emergency exit, found area of charred, bubbling wall with some smoke coming out. We declared emergency, descended, broke out oxygen, smoke goggles, diverted to inw, asked for emergency equipment to meet us. Doing a rapid descent we headed for runway 22 at inw. We ran through checklists, briefed passenger on emergency exit of aircraft. We landed on runway 22, full stopped on runway, shut down, exited aircraft. Broke out fire extinguisher for a flash fire. Passenger were well away from aircraft. The bubbling and scorching had stopped sometime on descent. Unable to find a cause of the scorching. Nothing behind the bulkhead. A real mystery. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the fire remains a mystery. There are no electrical lines, no hydraulic lines, no oxygen lines in the area that melted. There is a fluorescent light ballast nearby, but it had not overheated. The aircraft has had a new interior put in. Parts of the old trim were tested with a blow torch by the operator. The trim did not burn, just as it is supposed to do. Parts of the trim have been sent to a lab, also used by the NTSB, for further testing. 'ATC was fantastic!' said the reporter. ATC called inw prior to the crew's arrival who called out the fire department. The fire department had lost its key to the airport gate and had to drive through the fence. The fire department arrived at the runway before the aircraft. The reporter has not heard from the FAA on this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE E90 KING AIR FO RPTS THAT HE HAD A CABIN FIRE INFLT.

Narrative: LIFEGUARD FLT TO FFZ. AMBULATORY PATIENT AND 2 FLT NURSES ON BOARD. I WAS OBSERVER/CO-CAPT. AT FL200 WE SMELLED TOXIC FUMES/SMOKE. FLT NURSE DETECTED HEAT AROUND EMER EXIT. HE PULLED POCKETS AWAY FROM BULKHEAD UNDER EMER EXIT, FOUND AREA OF CHARRED, BUBBLING WALL WITH SOME SMOKE COMING OUT. WE DECLARED EMER, DSNDED, BROKE OUT OXYGEN, SMOKE GOGGLES, DIVERTED TO INW, ASKED FOR EMER EQUIP TO MEET US. DOING A RAPID DSCNT WE HEADED FOR RWY 22 AT INW. WE RAN THROUGH CHKLISTS, BRIEFED PAX ON EMER EXIT OF ACFT. WE LANDED ON RWY 22, FULL STOPPED ON RWY, SHUT DOWN, EXITED ACFT. BROKE OUT FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOR A FLASH FIRE. PAX WERE WELL AWAY FROM ACFT. THE BUBBLING AND SCORCHING HAD STOPPED SOMETIME ON DSCNT. UNABLE TO FIND A CAUSE OF THE SCORCHING. NOTHING BEHIND THE BULKHEAD. A REAL MYSTERY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FIRE REMAINS A MYSTERY. THERE ARE NO ELECTRICAL LINES, NO HYD LINES, NO OXYGEN LINES IN THE AREA THAT MELTED. THERE IS A FLUORESCENT LIGHT BALLAST NEARBY, BUT IT HAD NOT OVERHEATED. THE ACFT HAS HAD A NEW INTERIOR PUT IN. PARTS OF THE OLD TRIM WERE TESTED WITH A BLOW TORCH BY THE OPERATOR. THE TRIM DID NOT BURN, JUST AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO. PARTS OF THE TRIM HAVE BEEN SENT TO A LAB, ALSO USED BY THE NTSB, FOR FURTHER TESTING. 'ATC WAS FANTASTIC!' SAID THE RPTR. ATC CALLED INW PRIOR TO THE CREW'S ARR WHO CALLED OUT THE FIRE DEPT. THE FIRE DEPT HAD LOST ITS KEY TO THE ARPT GATE AND HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH THE FENCE. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED AT THE RWY BEFORE THE ACFT. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS.

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.