How Do You Stop A Fire With An Aircraft Cockpit Fire Extinguisher?
A cockpit fire is one of the most critical in-flight emergencies a crew can experience. While cases are rare, they can and do happen. A United Airlines Boeing 757 was forced to make an emergency landing on May 16, 2010 after a windshield heater element caused an in-flight fire. The crew extinguished the fire with on-board fire extinguishers. Identify the source. Seeing flames is obviously a good indication, but more than likely there will be warning signs prior to actual flames. Your first indication may be a system failure, such as an avionics cooling system failure. A popped circuit breaker is another early warning sign. The system failure might soon be followed by the smell of smoke or a visual indication of smoke. Refer to the emergency checklist. The emergency checklist is your first line of defense in any emergency. This is especially true with a cockpit fire or smoke in the cockpit. For example, the first step in a smoke emergency is to don your oxygen mask. A crew that does not
