Jetstar Flight Deck Fire

[Mr Whippy]

Apparently a Jetstar aircraft had a fire in the flight deck somewhere in Qld recently... the story I heard is that sunlight was shining through a water bottle which somehow focused the rays onto the cover of a tech manual, which then caught fire.

Any truth to this?

[ruprecht]

sunlight was shining through a water bottle which somehow focused the rays onto the cover of a tech manual, which then caught fire.


Who was the pilot? Macgyver? :rolleyes:

[Cypher]

I've started a fire with a water bottle before.. it can be done..

And no.. I don't have a mullet and carry a swiss army knife..

[Cypher]

Water bottle sparks fire in cockpit | The Courier-Mail (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25371653-5017323,00.html)

[Mr.Buzzy]

Sounds like bollox........ true or false I can't wait to see the kneejerk memos spilling out of BS castle!

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[TwoTango]

Forget about water bottles, I've been reliably informed of a Bell 47 catching on fire because of the sun being focused through the canopy...

You'd have to be bloody unlucky though! Loved the last line of the article:

The bureau did not say whether the water in the bottle was used to douse the fire.

TT

[DeathStar-Alpha]

Good luck explaining that one to the boss... :}

[Ultergra]

Thankyou Jetstaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

[pa60ops]

Maybe the tech crew were simply trying to heat the crew meals when things got out of hand??? Could this have been a new operational technique to get a hot dinner???

[Lookleft]

Sounds like a job for Mythbusters. For a start the water bottles are 1.5L so are too big to sit on the instrument panel shroud in a manner that would focus the suns rays. It would appear to be some more quality journalism from the tabloid trash. Care to comment FGD135?

[greenslopes]

The article is factually incorrect. The captain actually focused the sun rays out of his asre and this caused the fire.

[arecheraf]

how can i apply 4 LATC??

[Capn Bloggs]

Lookleft,
Care to comment FGD135?
Oh how cruel! :}

C'mon FDG, what's your take on this? :E

Might try this tomorrow. Anybody know what time of the day it was?

[slamer.]

Hmmmm... I heard it was a bottle of Vodka......:ooh:

[Weapons_Hot]

Bloggs
Let me give you a clue to your question: It wasn't night time ("sunlight was shining...")
;)

[Capn Bloggs]

Let me give you a clue to your question: It wasn't night time ("sunlight was shining...")
Well oh hot one, I did ask what time of the DAY, not NIGHT! :}

[tail wheel]

I searched the ATSB database and can not find any reference to this "incident".

Can anyone post a link to the ATSB Incident Report?

:confused: :confused:

[Jet Jockey]

Well Thats torn it. just the excuse they need now to axe the free bottled water for crew.:}

[Going Boeing]

It sounds fishy to me. I doubt that enough solar energy would pass through the flight deck windows to create combustion even if the rays are focused by a good quality magnifying glass, much less a PET bottle of water.

[Max Talk]

I saw an incident happening in my old gliding days.
A glider pilot placed the perspex cockpit canopy on end on the ground adjacent to the fuselage on dry grass, and within seconds, the grass started smouldering and soon burst into flames. "Ahhh, the old magnifying glass trick 99." :uhoh: Fortunately we saw it as it happened or it would have beenan expensive accident.

[Old 'Un]

There was an item on "Fair Go" a little while ago which has a parallel to this story.

From memory, someone around the Central Otago area had claimed insurance on a burn-damaged seat cover on the rear seat of his 4WD. The cause of the burning was from a bottle of water sitting between the front seats and focussing the sun's rays onto the rear seat panel. The insurance comapny said "Rubbish", but Fair Go proved that it could happen, but primarily with only one or two types of water bottle which were the perfect shape to act as a focussing lense.

I may have the vehicle type or location wrong, even the TV programme, but I have a strong memory of the story, as I too suspected it was a put-on.

Anyone else remember it?

Le Vieux

[tail wheel]

I have now been able to confirm this incident occurred.

The ATSB occurrence number is 200901475. It was a Cat 5 occurrence so it does not have its own page. It is listed in this document (http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2009/pdf/aws270309.pdf) at the top of page 15.

Apparently it is a proven fact that water bottles can cause fires - refer this article (http://www.hoax-slayer.com/car-fire-water-bottle.shtml).

Amazing!

I've also seen the damage caused by a pair of glasses left on the top of a vehicle dash board when the wearer changed to sunnies.

[Ron & Edna Johns]

Well, there's another good reason to leave the Cabin Defect Log with the CSM......

[flyingfox]

Always knew drinking water was dangerous! Never touch the stuff myself ....