Safety Action
The company issued an "Important Information" bulletin to flight attendants advising that any visible cabin light fitting must have a protective grill or glass covering the bulb.
Summary
At top of descent to Los Angeles, the cabin crew of the Boeing 747 aircraft reported smoke and fumes emanating from the cabin ceiling located in the vicinity of the rear right side (R5) emergency exit door. Smouldering paper tissues were found in an overhead light fitting. Cabin crew removed the tissues and discharged a fire extinguisher onto the light fitting, tissues, and surrounding area. The cabin crew remained in the vicinity and monitored the area until passengers disembarked at Los Angeles.
The company reported that the light fitting is a "night light" and is always "on". The light has a blue plastic cover that should always be in place, but was not fitted on this occasion.
The investigation was unable to determine why, or by whom, the tissues were placed in the light fitting.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | 200100741 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 22/02/2001 |
| Location | 111 km E Los Angeles, Aero. |
| State | International |
| Report release date | 08/08/2001 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Smoke |
| Occurrence class | Incident |
| Highest injury level | None |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | The Boeing Company |
|---|---|
| Model | 747 |
| Registration | VH-OJJ |
| Serial number | 24974 |
| Sector | Jet |
| Operation type | Air Transport High Capacity |
| Departure point | New York, USA |
| Destination | Los Angeles, USA |
| Damage | Nil |