Cargo fire forces British Airways aircraft to turn back

Airline Industry Information, August 12, 2002

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A British Airways aircraft made an emergency landing on Saturday (10 August) after a fire broke out in the aircraft's cargo hold.

The aircraft - a Boeing 747-700 - had been travelling from Sydney to the UK via Singapore, when a small electrical fire broke out in the aircraft's forward cargo hold. The cabin crew reported the fire to the pilot after passengers noticed a burning smell shortly after takeoff. However the pilot had already requested an emergency landing at Sydney Airport.

The aircraft landed safely at the airport, where all 247 passengers and crew members were evacuated via a front exit. Nobody was injured during the incident, and the aircraft's on-board extinguisher system put out the fire, reported PA News.

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