If you extinguish a fire with the cargo bottle in the forward compartment, what should be done about a fire in the aft cargo compartment?

If you extinguish a fire with the cargo bottle in the forward compartment, what should be done about a fire in the aft cargo compartment?

• A. Continue flight as planned
• B. Immediately land and shut down non-essential systems
• C. Nothing; plan for an immediate landing
• D. Attempt to fight the aft fire with a separate extinguisher

Answer: (C)

Fires in cargo compartments stay dangerous even if another fire has been knocked down. Extinguishing the forward compartment does not eliminate the risk from the aft compartment, and accessing or effectively suppressing an aft-fire with a handheld extinguisher in flight is not practical or reliable. Because of that, the safest course is to begin planning an immediate landing at the nearest suitable airport so ground crews can evaluate and manage the aft fire and you can descend with emergency procedures in place. So, after the forward fire is out, there isn’t a further in-flight action to rely on for the aft fire beyond planning to land as soon as feasible.

Fires in cargo compartments stay dangerous even if another fire has been knocked down. Extinguishing the forward compartment does not eliminate the risk from the aft compartment, and accessing or effectively suppressing an aft-fire with a handheld extinguisher in flight is not practical or reliable. Because of that, the safest course is to begin planning an immediate landing at the nearest suitable airport so ground crews can evaluate and manage the aft fire and you can descend with emergency procedures in place. So, after the forward fire is out, there isn’t a further in-flight action to rely on for the aft fire beyond planning to land as soon as feasible.