Scat Airlines Boeing 737 burned at gate

[tupungato]

Scat Airlines Boeing 737-300 burned at gate on Jun 16th 2015.

Story: Accident: Scat B733 at Aktau on Jun 16th 2015, aircraft burned at gate (http://avherald.com/h?article=487eadd9&opt=0)

Fire extinguishing video:
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25-year-old airframe (reg LY-FLB), ex United, ex FlyLal.

[Machinbird]

Looks like the fire nearly severed the forward fuselage from the rest of the aircraft. It might collapse just trying to move it.

[NW guy]

25 years old OR -700. Not both.
It is a 737-300.

[bsieker]

Boeing 737-322. 25 years old, MSN 24667

Had previously been flying for American, ATA, Lithuanian and FlyLAL: SCAT Airlines LY-FLB (Boeing 737 - MSN 24667) (Ex ES-LBA LY-AQU N392UA ) | Airfleets aviation (http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-24667.htm)

According to AvHerald (http://avherald.com/h?article=487eadd9&opt=7168), an oxygen bottle exploded. How exactly that would cause a fire is not clear.

[Volume]

How exactly that would cause a fire is not clear.It may have significantly contributed to the fire, see Egypt Air 667 (http://www.civilaviation.gov.eg/accident/Reports/B777_SU-GBP_cockpit_fire_accident%20final%20Report%20responding%20to %20boeing%20comments%2019-09-2012a.pdf)
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the fire originated near the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing, which is located underneath the side console below the no. 3 right hand flight deck window. Oxygen from the flight crew oxygen system is suspected to have contributed to the fire's intensity and speed.

[tupungato]

Thank you, NW guy, corrected.

[barit1]

If any combustible hydrocarbon (oil, grease, fuel, cleaning fluid...) is exposed to pure oxygen, spontaneous combustion is likely.

[barit1]

If her previous registration was N392UA, I doubt she was with AA. :confused:

[lomapaseo]

I don't have an argument against an O2 bottle and hydrocarbons, but the pic of the fire damage suggests the source is quite far aft and below a cockpit bottle as a source.

[aeromech32254]

There are no "cockpit" bottles. In the forward right side of the forward cargo pit there is a cabinet butted up against the aft wall of the e&e compartment. Lift the lid and inside is the crew oxygen bottle. These bottles are subject in the USA to five year hydrostatic testing per the DOT. Who knows what happens with a carrier named "Scat"?

[Skyjob]

Looks to be aft galley area suspect, maybe any O2 bottle stored there being referred to?

[Yeelep]

The crew O2 bottle on 737 classics is located in the fwd pit, fwd right hand corner, right where the lower part of the fuselage burn thru is.

[Chu Chu]

Or if the "exploding" bottle damaged wiring, that could easily start combustion. It wouldn't take much.

[Obba]

Different video. Shows more detail.






LiveLeak.com - Plane on Fire at Aktau Airport, Khazakstan (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=563_1434670250#comment_page=2)

[skyhighfallguy]

if the plane was used by american airlines, it might be by virtue of being with usairways and the merger has the lineage of the plane confused.

I seem to recall, but cannot be sure, that if the oxygen bottle is mainly full, you can top it off in place.

but if it is completely empty it has to be removed to refill

but it has been awhile, someone else might want to check.

the dc9 series had the bottles right in the cockpit, but not the 737.

[Machinbird]

Looking at the new video, the one with the CP wandering around trying to figure out where to start his preflight:}, it appears that there is a fair amount of maintenance equipment in the vicinity of the fire, and also a red fire fighting bottle lying on its side-probably expended. (This is early in the fire sequence-before the fire fighting equipment has arrived.)

When you fill an empty O2 bottle up, the suckers get real hot, which is a good reason to only top off bottles while mounted in an aircraft. If any oxygen fill equipment becomes oil contaminated, you have a perfect setup for an explosion when the pressurized oxygen reaches the oil. :eek:

[FGE319]

If her previous registration was N392UA, I doubt she was with AA. :confused:

United, Lithuanian, FlyLAL then SCAT according to an online source.

Never AA.

[phiggsbroadband]

On the second video, did you see the ground crew remove a bag at 1min 48sec. It seemed to have an internal source of fire (lap-top battery?).


The blue dressed CC gave it her once over inspection... very brave....

[MrDK]

Can anyone please share some data concerning oxygen cylinders used for the flight crew:
* O2 concentration
* Volume (typical)
* Pressure (typical)

Also, if the O2 concentration is high (over 50%), is it diluted when delivered to the users?

[Volume]

* O2 concentration
100% (within technical tolerances)

* Volume (typical)
3-10m³ (the unpressurized volume is typically given, the bottle of course is significantly smaller)

* Pressure (typical)
up to 2000 psi / 130 bar

is it diluted when delivered to the users?
This is optional, normally yes, but there is also a 100% setting.

[silvertate]

There have been several on-stand fires:

Egyptair, Cairo:
Accident: Egyptair B772 at Cairo on Jul 29th 2011, cockpit fire (http://avherald.com/h?article=44078aa7/0000)

Corendon, Antalya:
Accident: Corendon B738 at Antalya on Oct 14th 2012, cockpit fire (http://avherald.com/h?article=457672a7)


This fire is too far back to be a cockpit fire. But a common link with the other two, is that these airlines use(d) eau de cologne for ritual cleansing, prior to eating. Thus the catering included eau de cologne bottles, which tend to get stored on the oxy mask, as this is a convenient shelf.

The reason that these fires happen at the gate, is that the crew give the oxy a good squirt in the preflight, and if the cologne bottle has a bit of a leak (leaking into the oxy mask box) you have all the ingredients for an instant fire.

Probably not true for this fire, but certainly a good probability for the other two.

[MrDK]

Volume, thank you for your reply.

I read earlier in the thread about oxygen cylinders and explosions.
First, I gather that any reference to those are speculation at any level, even if the fire was close in proximity.
100% oxygen will cause just about any material to become flammable, even steel.
That, however, would require a massive leak (or rupture) AND a source of ignition for it to be the sole cause.
Looking at the second video it seemed like a relatively small fire getting out of control, which indicates to me that the oxygen cylinders are likely not the root cause, but if pressurized supply lines are breached as a result of the fire the situation could for that reason have accelerated rather quickly.

[Lost in Saigon]

On the second video, did you see the ground crew remove a bag at 1min 48sec. It seemed to have an internal source of fire (lap-top battery?).


The blue dressed CC gave it her once over inspection... very brave....

Here is the screenshot at 1:48

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/msowsun/photo%20stuff/photo16/Clipboard01.jpg

[Machinbird]

The source of the fire observed on the piece of GSE is a blob of burning debris from the aircraft.
You can see it fall a bit earlier.