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Fire in the lav of a B757 allegedly set by a passenger. The air freshener installed was ignited. Fire successfully fought by cabin crew with damage only to the walls and ceiling.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 548570 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200205 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5 |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 12 flight attendant time total : 12 flight attendant time type : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 548570 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 4 |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 14 flight attendant time total : 14 flight attendant time type : 90 |
| ASRS Report | 549178 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : smoke alarm/lav other other : cab 3 |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Passenger Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
Just after the beverage service in main cabin attendant had been completed. Flight attendant #3,4 picked up while I #2 cleaned up the galley. Upon returning they both made mention of a passenger who had made sexual passes at them. While we were discussing it the chime system started to ring out and I went to the lav. The man we were just discussing walks out and is heading back to his seat while our lav is on fire originated from the air freshener mounted on the wall, ran up the wall and on to the ceiling compartment, just inches from our oxygen mask compartment. I asked flight attendant #3 for a glass of water and put out the flames. Flight attendant #3 called the cockpit to report our fire and details pertaining to it. I asked the passenger if he had been smoking in the lav, he said how could I, they took my lighter in dfw. After a search of his belonging police found 3 lighters in his possession. He was met by police in ZZZ upon arrival. I gave my statement to both police and fbi in ZZZ. A field test was performed on the air freshener and it was found to act like a wick. Lights quickly burns slowly and emits very little smoke much like a candle. Supplemental information from acn 549178: basically we had a strange passenger that was acting abnormal. He went into the lav and either had a cigarette and laid it on the air freshener or lit the air freshener on purpose. The smoke alarm went off and flight attendant #2 was there when passenger opened up the lav door and saw flames going up to the ceiling tiles. Passenger even goes to his seat with lav on fire. Flight attendant #2 extinguished the flames with water. Actions needed 1) can't hear smoke alarm in aft lav from the front of the plane. 2) air fresheners should be taken off or flame resistant. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that the air freshener is routinely placed on many air carrier aircraft. The brand is unknown, but it is about the size of a silver dollar and about 3/8 inch thick. There was no evidence found of a cigarette having been used in the lav but it was admitted that it could have been disposed of in the toilet. The passenger involved was traveling alone, appeared to be in his late twenties or earlier thirties. He was described as a 'little off' by the reporter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FIRE IN THE LAV OF A B757 ALLEGEDLY SET BY A PAX. THE AIR FRESHENER INSTALLED WAS IGNITED. FIRE SUCCESSFULLY FOUGHT BY CABIN CREW WITH DAMAGE ONLY TO THE WALLS AND CEILING.
Narrative: JUST AFTER THE BEVERAGE SVC IN MAIN CAB HAD BEEN COMPLETED. FA #3,4 PICKED UP WHILE I #2 CLEANED UP THE GALLEY. UPON RETURNING THEY BOTH MADE MENTION OF A PAX WHO HAD MADE SEXUAL PASSES AT THEM. WHILE WE WERE DISCUSSING IT THE CHIME SYS STARTED TO RING OUT AND I WENT TO THE LAV. THE MAN WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING WALKS OUT AND IS HEADING BACK TO HIS SEAT WHILE OUR LAV IS ON FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE AIR FRESHENER MOUNTED ON THE WALL, RAN UP THE WALL AND ON TO THE CEILING COMPARTMENT, JUST INCHES FROM OUR OXYGEN MASK COMPARTMENT. I ASKED FA #3 FOR A GLASS OF WATER AND PUT OUT THE FLAMES. FA #3 CALLED THE COCKPIT TO RPT OUR FIRE AND DETAILS PERTAINING TO IT. I ASKED THE PAX IF HE HAD BEEN SMOKING IN THE LAV, HE SAID HOW COULD I, THEY TOOK MY LIGHTER IN DFW. AFTER A SEARCH OF HIS BELONGING POLICE FOUND 3 LIGHTERS IN HIS POSSESSION. HE WAS MET BY POLICE IN ZZZ UPON ARRIVAL. I GAVE MY STATEMENT TO BOTH POLICE AND FBI IN ZZZ. A FIELD TEST WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIR FRESHENER AND IT WAS FOUND TO ACT LIKE A WICK. LIGHTS QUICKLY BURNS SLOWLY AND EMITS VERY LITTLE SMOKE MUCH LIKE A CANDLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 549178: BASICALLY WE HAD A STRANGE PAX THAT WAS ACTING ABNORMAL. HE WENT INTO THE LAV AND EITHER HAD A CIGARETTE AND LAID IT ON THE AIR FRESHENER OR LIT THE AIR FRESHENER ON PURPOSE. THE SMOKE ALARM WENT OFF AND FA #2 WAS THERE WHEN PAX OPENED UP THE LAV DOOR AND SAW FLAMES GOING UP TO THE CEILING TILES. PAX EVEN GOES TO HIS SEAT WITH LAV ON FIRE. FA #2 EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES WITH WATER. ACTIONS NEEDED 1) CAN'T HEAR SMOKE ALARM IN AFT LAV FROM THE FRONT OF THE PLANE. 2) AIR FRESHENERS SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF OR FLAME RESISTANT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE AIR FRESHENER IS ROUTINELY PLACED ON MANY ACR ACFT. THE BRAND IS UNKNOWN, BUT IT IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR AND ABOUT 3/8 INCH THICK. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE FOUND OF A CIGARETTE HAVING BEEN USED IN THE LAV BUT IT WAS ADMITTED THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISPOSED OF IN THE TOILET. THE PAX INVOLVED WAS TRAVELING ALONE, APPEARED TO BE IN HIS LATE TWENTIES OR EARLIER THIRTIES. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS A 'LITTLE OFF' BY THE RPTR.
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.