Narrative:

The aircraft departed on a baggage compartment smoke detection/smoke penetration certification test mission from ZZZ at XA26Z with the intent of returning to ZZZ approximately 1 hour and 30 mins later. At approximately XB10Z the cabin test team notified the cockpit crew they suspected an actual fire in the baggage compartment. The aircraft was about 40 NM north of ZZZ1 proceeding southeast direct to the fix at 10000 ft MSL for landing at ZZZ. The baggage compartment contained an operating smoke generator used for the smoke penetration test in progress. The fire was suspected when the cabin test team observed several flashes on the video camera installed in the baggage compartment. The test equipment operator immediately turned off the smoke generator and the visible flashes stopped. The cockpit crew declared an emergency with center; requested clearance to the nearest field and decided to recover to ZZZ1. The cockpit crew pulled the appropriate circuit breakers to cut power to the baggage compartment equipment and the smoke generator as discussed during the flight briefing. This also disabled the video camera. In order to monitor the status of the baggage compartment; the cockpit crew confirmed the smoke generator had been turned off and pushed in the circuit breakers to regain the video camera. The certification test pilot on board activated the baggage compartment fire suppression system in coordination with the cockpit crew. The aircraft recovered uneventfully to the runway at ZZZ1 and cleared the runway. Once off the runway; the crew shut down and evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft in the presence of responding arff personnel. Postflt inspection of the baggage compartment revealed heat damage to the underside of the lower shelf and scorching on the inner wall adjacent to the lower shelf. Later removal of the smoke generator revealed fire damage to the paper and carpet beneath the generator. The shape of the damaged area matched the approximately 6 inch diameter opening in the bottom of the heating tower of the smoke generator. Human performance considerations -- all parties were too complacent about the historic safety of the smoke generator. The test plan should have included a test hazard analysis addressing the possibility of fire. Extreme schedule pressure existed to complete the test program. Flight crew participation in test planning and preparation was less than desired by the pilot. Causes and prevention -- the actual cause of the fire is still under investigation. The opening in the bottom of the smoke generator and its placement under the lower shelf of the baggage compartment may have contributed to the fire. Video monitoring of the baggage compartment was invaluable and should be required for this type of testing. Fire suppression equipment should always be available and operational; as it was in this case; whenever a smoke generator or other heat source is installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: G200 DEPARTED ON BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT SMOKE DETECTION SMOKE PENETRATION CERTIFICATION TEST. SMOKE GENERATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE.

Narrative: THE ACFT DEPARTED ON A BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT SMOKE DETECTION/SMOKE PENETRATION CERTIFICATION TEST MISSION FROM ZZZ AT XA26Z WITH THE INTENT OF RETURNING TO ZZZ APPROX 1 HR AND 30 MINS LATER. AT APPROX XB10Z THE CABIN TEST TEAM NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT CREW THEY SUSPECTED AN ACTUAL FIRE IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 40 NM N OF ZZZ1 PROCEEDING SE DIRECT TO THE FIX AT 10000 FT MSL FOR LNDG AT ZZZ. THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT CONTAINED AN OPERATING SMOKE GENERATOR USED FOR THE SMOKE PENETRATION TEST IN PROGRESS. THE FIRE WAS SUSPECTED WHEN THE CABIN TEST TEAM OBSERVED SEVERAL FLASHES ON THE VIDEO CAMERA INSTALLED IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE TEST EQUIP OPERATOR IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SMOKE GENERATOR AND THE VISIBLE FLASHES STOPPED. THE COCKPIT CREW DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR; REQUESTED CLRNC TO THE NEAREST FIELD AND DECIDED TO RECOVER TO ZZZ1. THE COCKPIT CREW PULLED THE APPROPRIATE CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO CUT PWR TO THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT EQUIP AND THE SMOKE GENERATOR AS DISCUSSED DURING THE FLT BRIEFING. THIS ALSO DISABLED THE VIDEO CAMERA. IN ORDER TO MONITOR THE STATUS OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT; THE COCKPIT CREW CONFIRMED THE SMOKE GENERATOR HAD BEEN TURNED OFF AND PUSHED IN THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO REGAIN THE VIDEO CAMERA. THE CERTIFICATION TEST PLT ON BOARD ACTIVATED THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT FIRE SUPPRESSION SYS IN COORD WITH THE COCKPIT CREW. THE ACFT RECOVERED UNEVENTFULLY TO THE RWY AT ZZZ1 AND CLRED THE RWY. ONCE OFF THE RWY; THE CREW SHUT DOWN AND EVACED THE ACFT IN THE PRESENCE OF RESPONDING ARFF PERSONNEL. POSTFLT INSPECTION OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT REVEALED HEAT DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LOWER SHELF AND SCORCHING ON THE INNER WALL ADJACENT TO THE LOWER SHELF. LATER REMOVAL OF THE SMOKE GENERATOR REVEALED FIRE DAMAGE TO THE PAPER AND CARPET BENEATH THE GENERATOR. THE SHAPE OF THE DAMAGED AREA MATCHED THE APPROX 6 INCH DIAMETER OPENING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HEATING TWR OF THE SMOKE GENERATOR. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS -- ALL PARTIES WERE TOO COMPLACENT ABOUT THE HISTORIC SAFETY OF THE SMOKE GENERATOR. THE TEST PLAN SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED A TEST HAZARD ANALYSIS ADDRESSING THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE. EXTREME SCHEDULE PRESSURE EXISTED TO COMPLETE THE TEST PROGRAM. FLT CREW PARTICIPATION IN TEST PLANNING AND PREPARATION WAS LESS THAN DESIRED BY THE PLT. CAUSES AND PREVENTION -- THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE OPENING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SMOKE GENERATOR AND ITS PLACEMENT UNDER THE LOWER SHELF OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FIRE. VIDEO MONITORING OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WAS INVALUABLE AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THIS TYPE OF TESTING. FIRE SUPPRESSION EQUIP SHOULD ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE AND OPERATIONAL; AS IT WAS IN THIS CASE; WHENEVER A SMOKE GENERATOR OR OTHER HEAT SOURCE IS INSTALLED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.