DC93, en-route, Cincinnati OH USA, 1983
DC93, en-route, Cincinnati OH USA, 1983
Summary
On 2 June 1983, a DC9 aircraft operated by Air Canada was destroyed following an in-flight fire which began in one of the aircraft s toilets. 23 passengers died in the accident.
Event Details
When
02/06/1983
Event Type
Day/Night
Day
Flight Conditions
On Ground - Normal Visibility
Flight Details
Aircraft
Operator
Type of Flight
Public Transport (Passenger)
Flight Origin
Intended Destination
Actual Destination
Take-off Commenced
Yes
Flight Airborne
Yes
Flight Completed
No
Phase of Flight
Cruise
Location
Approx.
near Cincinnati, OH
General
Tag(s)
Inadequate Airworthiness Procedures
FIRE
Tag(s)
Fire-Electrical origin
HF
Tag(s)
Flight / Cabin Crew Co-operation,
Procedural non compliance
EPR
Tag(s)
Emergency Descent,
Emergency Evacuation,
MAYDAY declaration,
RFFS Procedures
CS
Tag(s)
Toilet compartment fire,
Cabin air contamination,
Hand held extinguisher used
Outcome
Damage or injury
Yes
Aircraft damage
Hull loss
Non-aircraft damage
Yes
Non-occupant Casualties
No
Occupant Injuries
Many occupants
Occupant Fatalities
Many occupants
Off Airport Landing
Yes
Ditching
Yes
Causal Factor Group(s)
Group(s)
Aircraft Operation
Aircraft Technical
Safety Recommendation(s)
Group(s)
Aircraft Operation
Aircraft Airworthiness
Investigation Type
Type
Independent
Description
On 2 June 1983, a DC9-30 aircraft operated by Air Canada was destroyed following an in-flight fire which began in one of the aircraft’s toilets. 23 passengers died in the accident.
In-Flight Fire
Fire in the air is one of the most hazardous situations that a flight crew can be faced with. Without aggressive intervention by the flight crew, a fire on board an aircraft can lead to the catastrophic loss of that aircraft within a very short space of time. Once a fire has become established, it is unlikely that the crew will be able to extinguish it. For further information, see the main article Fire in the Air
Synopsis
This is the abstract from the official report into the accident published by the National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) (USA):
“On June 2, 1983, Air Canada Flight 797, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, of Canadian Registry C-FTLU, was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Dallas, Texas, to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with an en route stop at Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The flight left Dallas with 5 crewmembers and 41 passengers on board. About 1903, eastern daylight time, while en route at flight level 330 (about 33,000 feet m.s.l.1, the cabin crew discovered a fire in the aft lavatory. After contacting air traffic control (ATC) and declaring an emergency, the crew made an emergency descent, and ATC vectored Flight 797 to the Greater Cincinnati International Airport, Covington, Kentucky. At 1920:09, eastern daylight time, Flight 797 landed on runway 27L at the Greater Cincinnati International Airport. As the pilot stopped the airplane, the airport fire department, which had been alerted by the tower of the fire on board the incoming plane, was in place and began firefighting operations. Also, as soon as the airplane stopped, the flight attendants and passengers opened the left and right forward doors, the left forward overwing exit, and the forward and aft right overwing exits. About 60 to 90 seconds after the exits were opened; a flash fire enveloped the airplane interior. While 18 passengers and 3 flight attendants exited through the forward doors and slides and the three overwing exits to evacuate the airplane, the captain and first officer exited through their respective cockpit sliding windows. However, 23 passengers were not able to get out of the plane and died in the fire. The airplane was destroyed”
Related Articles
Further Reading
- NTSB Aircraft Accident Report 86/02 - Air Canada Flight 797
- see also FAA "Lessons Learned from Transport Airplane Accidents": Air Canada Flight 797, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 (S/N 47196), C-FTLU
