Heated Floorboards
Never heard of them on the various aircraft I have flown. Is this an Airbus thing on certain types?
"...an Airbus A330 aircraft operated by Air XXXXX, was conducting flight XXXXX from
Venice/Marco Polo (LIPZ), Italy with 11 crew
members and 310 passengers on board. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, a passenger
notified a cabin crew member that some smoke and sparks could be seen in the vicinity of the R2
door floor. The flight crew were notified, declared a MAYDAY with ATC and diverted to
Paris/Charles de Gaulle (LFPG), France. The flight crew donned their oxygen masks and
performed the appropriate checklists. The smoke was accompanied with an electric smell and
dissipated during the descent. During the final approach, some smoke and flames reappeared and
the cabin crew discharged a portable fire extinguisher. Once on the ground the fire brigade
inspected the aircraft and the aircraft was cleared to proceed to the terminal.
An heated Floor Board was found at fault. This phenomenon is already known and monitored by
Airbus with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Airbus Support has requested the
part for expertise and created a shared occurrence with EASA as part of Continued Airworthiness.
The Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité (BEA) does not open an investigation into
this occurrence."