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Old 17th Sep 2010, 06:48
  #584 (permalink)  
Whenwe
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
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Perhaps not quite relevant but quite few years ago I was on final at Franceville in Gabon flying a CL44 (Canadian version of the Bristol Britannia). In the back was about 22 tons of meat and vegetables. Suddenly, almost instantly, the whole aircraft was filled with a white-ish smoke. The smell unmistakably oil and where there is smoke there is fire. I could barely see the instruments and very faintly the runway. A go-around with a fire is not a very comforting thought.
Fortunately, at that altitude there is very little pressurization and both of us forced our side windows open giving me enough visibility to land the aircraft. The cause of this was an oil seal that blew in compressor (For pressurization). The oil into a hot compressor and the result was instant smoke.
When I read about this accident I shuddered at the thought of what those guys had to cope with. I had the advantage of know exactly what was in the back.
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