Definition
Combustion, overheating, or smoke affecting an aircraft, its occupants, cargo, systems, or surrounding response environment.
Why it matters
Fire can damage systems quickly, impair crew performance, create toxic exposure, and shorten the time available to land or evacuate.
Questions that turn reading into a defensible review
A strong review separates the event description, possible precursors, recorded evidence, approved criteria, and the final safety decision.
What exactly is being examined?
Combustion, overheating, or smoke affecting an aircraft, its occupants, cargo, systems, or surrounding response environment.
Which conditions could build the exposure?
Engine or fuel-system failure; Electrical or cargo source.
What evidence would strengthen the picture?
Warning states and affected-system parameters Time from detection to diversion, landing, shutdown, and evacuation
What must remain authoritative?
Current approved aircraft data, operator procedures, investigation findings, and the source document’s own scope control any operational conclusion.
Timeline, aircraft state, relationships, and recurrence
Engine thrust, Brake pressure, Landing gear status can contribute to a synchronized event picture when their mappings, units, sampling, and flight-phase logic are validated.
Cause, intent, compliance, and technical disposition
An FDM alert or pattern is not by itself a causal finding, judgement of individual performance, regulatory conclusion, or aircraft maintenance and airworthiness determination.
Reports, approved criteria, context, and authoritative evidence
Combine the recorded picture with applicable procedures, crew and operational reports, weather or airport information, technical evidence, and the linked official publications and investigation sources.
Fire survival barriers
Detection, control, landing, evacuation, and rescue must remain effective under time pressure.
Common causes and precursors
- →
Engine or fuel-system failure
- →
Electrical or cargo source
- →
Post-impact fuel release
Operational risks
- R1
Loss of systems or visibility
- R2
Toxic exposure
- R3
Rapid evacuation and rescue hazards
Guidance themes
These are cross-source themes for orientation. Apply only the current, approved material for the aircraft and operation.
- Apply approved memory items/checklists
- Land as soon as required by the procedure
- Coordinate evacuation and rescue information
Safety actions to consider
Exercise airport response
Review cargo and maintenance controls
Capture time-critical decision data
Parameters that help explain the event
A useful event picture comes from signal relationships—not a single exceedance or a generic threshold.
Engine thrust
Thrust is a primary part of energy control and is essential for understanding approach corrections, takeoff, go-around, and engine malfunctions.
Open parameter guide ↗psi, bar, or %Brake pressure
Brake application timing and symmetry help evaluate stopping action, system response, and directional control.
Open parameter guide ↗discreteLanding gear status
Gear and weight-on-wheels transitions anchor takeoff, touchdown, bounce, go-around, braking, spoiler, and reverser logic.
Open parameter guide ↗Recommended monitoring questions
Warning states and affected-system parameters
Time from detection to diversion, landing, shutdown, and evacuation
Cases that add context
ASIP provides a concise learning index. The investigation authority report remains the definitive source.
Editor-reviewed starting points
These records include a deeper ASIP editorial review. Continue to the full evidence index below for direct matches and broader manufacturer, regulator, and investigation reading.
Safety Management Manual (Doc 9859), Fourth Edition
ICAO's fourth-edition manual explains how safety data, risk management, assurance, culture, and governance work together in State and service-provider safety management.
Official sourceStatistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, 1959–2024
Boeing's 56th annual statistical summary organizes commercial-jet accident data using stated definitions and the CAST/ICAO occurrence taxonomy.
Official sourceTitle or indexed metadata explicitly matches this topic.
Related collection material for adjacent systems, phases, and defenses.
Manufacturer, regulator, investigation, and safety-organization sources.
Where the reading comes from
50 source records
Official links · no copied report files50 source records match the current evidence filters.
SAFO 21003 — SAFO 21003, Inspection of Lavatory Fire Extinguishing Bottles on Aircraft Parked or Stored for a Prolonged Period of Time in a High-Temperature Environment
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and maintenance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 18003 — SAFO 18003, Procedures for Addressing Odors, Smoke and/or Fumes In-Flight
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 16001 — SAFO 16001, Risks of Fire or Explosion when Transporting Lithium Ion or Lithium Metal Batteries as Cargo on Passenger and Cargo Aircraft
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 16011 — SAFO 16011, Air Transport Restrictions for Recalled Lithium Batteries and Lithium Battery Powered Devices
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 15003 — SAFO 15003, Fire Risk of Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in Checked Baggage
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 10004 — Contaminated Halon Fire Extinguishers
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 08014 — Boeing 777 Extended Operations ( ETOPS ) Restrictions due to Cargo Fire Suppression System Shortfall
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 08018 — Fire Handle Characteristics, DC-9, MD-80 and MD-90 Airplanes
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 06008 — Fire hazard with flameless ration heaters ( a.k.a. meals, ready-to-eat ( MRE ))
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceDo not Wait to Apply the Engine Fire Procedure
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for powerplant and fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceFocus on Protective Breathing Equipment
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for emergency preparedness. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceLithium Battery Fire in the Cabin or in the Cockpit
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for fire and smoke and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSafe Oxygen Servicing
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for fire and smoke and maintenance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceThe SMOKE-FUMES-AVNCS SMOKE Procedure
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 25003 — Addressing Risk Associated with Passenger Non-Compliance and Retention of Carry-On Baggage and Personal Items During Emergency Evacuations
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for cabin and cargo and emergency preparedness. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 24001 — Boeing 737-900ER Mid-Cabin Door Plug Inspection
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for maintenance and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 24007 — Shipments of Batteries/Battery-Powered Devices and Flammable Materials
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 23003 — Carriage of Battery Powered Mobility Aids (BPMA) on aircraft
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceLessons learned
1Containment is time-limited
2Survival depends on operational and airport barriers together