Cockpit fires cause Qantas emergency

A series of electrical fires in the cockpit resulted in a mid-air emergency for Qantas.

Travel Insurance News - 24/03/2011

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The cockpit of a Qantas jet flying so Sydney, Australia, from the Philippines was hit by two electrical fires, causing a mid-air emergency. As a result of the recalcitrant blaze, the plane had to divert to Cairns.

The first fire, which produced small flames in the cockpit of the Qantas Airbus A330-200, was extinguished by the plane's automatic safety systems. It was only a few minutes, however, until a second fire broke out on the flight deck.

As a result of the fire and smoke, the plane's three pilots were forced to don oxygen masks as they fought the blaze with a fire extinguisher. This appears to be a repetition of a similar problem experienced by another jet of the same make and model in 2009.

Qantas said the fire was caused by a problem with the electrical system used to heat the cockpit windows. Two years ago, another Airbus A330-200 suffered a similar emergency while flying to Australia from Japan. That plane, a Jetstar flight, was forced to land on Guam, an island in the Pacific Ocean.

Passengers flying on the Qantas jet said they were terrified. One passenger said a strong burning smell hit the cabin. This was followed by the captain announcing on the PA system that the plane had experienced an electrical problem.

The captain went on to say there was a serious fire risk. He later explained to passengers that a second fire had been put out in the cockpit using a fire extinguisher.

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