Beruflich Dokumente
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Definition
Onboard systems designed to extinguish fires which occur either in the air or on the ground.
For information on detecting and fighting fires in the cabin, see also the separate article: "Cabin Fire"
Description
Four types of fire extinguishing installations are found on commercial transport aircraft.
Portable Extinguishers installed at specified locations in both the main cabin and the flight deck
Fires that involve energized electrical equipment - in aircraft cabins typically IFE (In Flight Entertainment)
systems in the passenger cabin, electrical equipment in the galley or avionics equipment in the flight deck
or under floor avionics bay, or Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) carried by passengers.
Fires in ordinary combustibles such as cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics - in aircraft cabins typically
in furnishings
Fires in flammable liquids, oils, greases, tars, oil-base paints, lacquers, and flammable gases - in aircraft
cabins typically galley oven fires
Portable extinguishers present a special challenge since they must be capable of extinguishing a range of fire
types - solid materials such as cabin fixtures and furnishings, flammable liquids and electrical fires.
Halon 1211 extinguishers have entirely replaced the previous combination of two different types of portable
extinguisher - Carbon Dioxide and Water Glycol - on new-build aircraft and no other single extinguisher-type
has yet been identified as a satisfactory alternative to it.
NOTE: Crews must be aware that the toxicity of the Halon gases, especially the combination which
makes up Halon 1211, is such that use in confined spaces requires care to minimize any inhalation of
the discharged gases. Where a portable Halon extinguisher is used by cabin crew, it is usually
recommended to consider donning a smoke hood before discharge to eliminate this risk, but for flight
crew use on the flight deck, this will not be an option and risk awareness is the only defence.
Where the dual fit of extinguisher is encountered on older aircraft, it is essential that Water Glycol extinguishers
are used on solid material fires and Carbon Dioxide extinguishers on liquid or electrical equipment fires.
The minimum dispatch requirement for aircraft portable fire extinguishers is determined by the capacity of the
aircraft cabin and is specified in the Aircraft MEL.
Regulatory Requirement
Relevant authorities (e.g. EASA in the EU, FAA in the US) specify the requirements for hand held fire
extinguishers in terms of:
Minimum number of hand held fire extinguishers to be carried on board. This depends on the size of the
aircraft, the number of passenger seats, the number and type of cargo compartments, etc.
Hand held fire extinguisher distribution within the aircraft (e.g. number of extinguishers in the cockpit,
cabin, cargo compartments, etc.).
Mounting and marking (e.g. there should be a special sign in case the fire extinguisher is not clearly
visible).
Restrictions regarding the extinguishing agents used (e.g. cut-off and end dates for Halon-based
extinguishers).
Extinguishing agent quantity requirements (e.g. minimum amount of agent per extinguisher).
All lithium batteries present a potential fire hazard. These batteries are carried on aeroplanes as cargo, within
passenger baggage, and by passengers directly. Like some other batteries lithium batteries are capable of
delivering sufficient energy to start an in-flight fire. Lithium batteries present a greater risk of an in-flight fire than
some other battery types because they are also unable to contain their own energy in the event of a
catastrophic failure.
Once extinguished, a lithium battery fire or a fire in a PED powered by lithium batteries requires
containment and continued cooling. Halon 1211 or water fire extinguishers are effective at extinguishing the fire
and preventing its spread to additional flammable materials. After extinguishing the fire, dousing the electronic
device with water or other non-alcoholic liquids cools the device and prevents additional battery cells from
reaching thermal runaway. Containment devises are now available and where these are equipped, crews
should receive specific training in how to use them to greatest effect.