Another grim reminder of what can happen with smoke.
Just an extract from the ATC tape, South Affrican Airways SA295 B747-244B Combi crashed into the indian ocean November 28, 1987
295 : PILOT IN COMMAND OF FLIGHT SA 295
MRU : MAURITIUS APPROACH CONTROL
TIME SPEAKER RECORDED INFORMATION
23:48:51 295 Eh, Mauritius, Mauritius, Springbok Two
Niner Five
23:49:00 MRU Springbok Two Niner Fife, eh, Mauritius,
eh, good morning, eh, go ahead
23:49:07 295 Eh, good morning, we have, eh, a smoke,
eh, eh, problem and we're doing emergency descent to level one five, eh, one four zero
23: 49: 18 MRU Confirm you wish to descend to flight level
one four zero
23: 49: 20 295 Ya, we have already commenced, eh, due to a
smoke problem in the aeroplane
23: 49: 25 MRU Eh, roger, you are clear to descend
immediately to flight level one four zero
23:49:30 295 Roger, we will appreciate if you can alert,
eh, fire, eh, eh, eh, eh
23:49:40 MRU Do you wish to, eh, do you request a full
emergency?
23:49:48 295 Okay Joe, kan jy ... vir ons (Okay Joe can
you ... for us)
23:49:51 MRU Springbok Two Nine Five, Plaisance
23:49:54 295 Sorry, go ahead
23:49:56 MRU Do you, eh, request a full emergency
please a full emergency?
23:50:00 295 Affirmative, that's Charlie Charlie