re: Official Thread: Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

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In his particular case, he was lucky and smart enough to isolate and shut down the panel where smoke was detected before things got out of hand.

But he had to stop his less experienced first officer from taking an action that could very well have downed the plane.

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But this plane flew for an additional 7.5 hours.

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From what I know, on a plane you use halon to put out a fire.

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I'm no aviation expert, but I recall that Halon suffocates anything that's alive in the compartment.

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I'm no aviation expert, but I recall that Halon suffocates anything that's alive in the compartment.

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then funny you chose not to quote the next part of my post. The part where I mentioned put on your masks.

This is the halon masks used in GA, but I think commercial would just use the masks they have for depressurization.

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then funny you chose not to quote the next part of my post

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So you're suggesting there's a system on the 777 that allows a guy with a mask to fight fires while the other 300 souls in the compartment die from Halon asphyxiation?

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So you're suggesting there's a system on the 777 that allows a guy with a mask to fight fires while the other 300 souls in the compartment die from Halon asphyxiation?

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No, I'm saying you are a very bad reader.

Cockpit, fight the fire in the cockpit. Drop the masks that every passenger has. But don't flood the entire plane with halon just the cockpit.


Jesus man, read.


More info on Halo-Methane suppression.

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At high temperatures, halons decompose to release halogen atoms that combine readily with active hydrogen atoms, quenching flame propagation reactions even when adequate fuel, oxygen, and heat remain. The chemical reaction in a flame proceeds as a free radical chain reaction; by sequestering the radicals which propagate the reaction, halons are able to halt the fire at much lower concentrations than are required by fire suppressants using the more traditional methods of cooling, oxygen deprivation, or fuel dilution.
For example, Halon 1301 total flooding systems are typically used at concentrations no higher than 7% by volume in air, and can suppress many fires at 2.9% v/v. By contrast, carbon dioxide fire suppression flood systems operate from 34% concentration by volume (surface-only combustion of liquid fuels) up to 75% (dust traps). Carbon dioxide can cause severe distress at concentrations of 3–6%, and has caused death by respiratory paralysis in a few minutes at 10% concentration. Halon 1301 causes only slight giddiness at its effective concentration of 5%, and even at 15% those exposed remain conscious but impaired and suffer no long term effects. (Experimental animals have also been exposed to 2% concentrations of Halon 1301 for 30 hours per week for 4 months, with no discernible health effects.) Halon 1211 also has low toxicity, although it is more toxic than Halon 1301, and thus considered unsuitable for flooding systems.
However, Halon 1301 fire suppression is not completely non-toxic; very high temperature flame, or contact with red-hot metal, can cause decomposition of Halon 1301 to toxic byproducts. The presence of such byproducts is readily detected because they include hydrobromic acid and hydrofluoric acid, which are intensely irritating. Halons are very effective on Class A (organic solids), B (flammable liquids and gases) and C (electrical) fires, but they are unsuitable for Class D (metal) fires, as they will not only produce toxic gas and fail to halt the fire, but in some cases pose a risk of explosion. Halons can be used on Class K (kitchen oils and greases) fires, but offer no advantages over specialised foams.
Halon 1301 is common in total flooding systems. In these systems, banks of halon cylinders are kept pressurised to about 4 MPa (600 psi) with compressed nitrogen, and a fixed piping network leads to the protected enclosure. On triggering, the entire measured contents of one or more cylinders are discharged into the enclosure in a few seconds, through nozzles designed to ensure uniform mixing throughout the room. The quantity dumped is pre-calculated to achieve the desired concentration, typically 3–7% v/v. This level is maintained for some time, typically with a minimum of ten minutes and sometimes up to a twenty minute "soak" time, to ensure all items have cooled so reignition is unlikely to occur, then the air in the enclosure is purged, generally via a fixed purge system that is activated by the proper authorities. During this time the enclosure may be entered by persons wearing SCBA. (There exists a common myth that this is because halon is highly toxic; in fact, it is because it can cause giddiness and mildly impaired perception, and also due to the risk of combustion byproducts.)
Flooding systems may be manually operated or automatically triggered by a VESDA or other automatic detection system. In the latter case, a warning siren and strobe lamp will first be activated for a few seconds to warn personnel to evacuate the area. The rapid discharge of halon and consequent rapid cooling fills the air with fog, and is accompanied by a loud, disorienting noise.
Due to environmental concerns, alternatives are being deployed.[10]
Halon 1301 is also used in the F-16 fighter to prevent the fuel vapors in the fuel tanks from becoming explosive; when the aircraft enters an area with the possibility of unfriendly fire, Halon 1301 is injected into the fuel tanks for one-time use. Due to environmental concerns, trifluoroiodomethane (CF3I) is being considered as an alternative.[11]
Halon 1211 is typically used in hand-held extinguishers, in which a stream of liquid halon is directed at a smaller fire by a user. The stream evaporates under reduced pressure, producing strong local cooling, as well as a high concentration of halon in the immediate vicinity of the fire. In this mode, fire is extinguished by cooling and oxygen deprivation at the core of the fire, as well as radical quenching over a larger area. After fire suppression, the halon diffuses, leaving no residue.

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I think he is thinking of a contained Halon venting system used in computer banks and server rooms. I am talking about the kind you spray. It's not like if it gets on you it will kill you.
It just should not be inhaled.


If the cockpit flooded with halon, people in first class should be fine, but still provided the oxygen masks too. Instead of just setting autopilot and not telling anyone there is a fire.

So radio was out in a sat-phone equipped plane, and no one decided to tell a steward to call ground?

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So radio was out in a sat-phone equipped plane, and no one decided to tell a steward to call ground?

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Thats why I asked if the Sat phones worked off of the same banks as the inflight communications?

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Thats why I asked if the Sat phones worked off of the same banks as the inflight communications?

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should be separate


Here are what the panels look like in a 777





right pane doesn't allow image posting, so here is link to right panel LINK

this panel below controls things such as the no smoking sign and passenger ammenities and other flight systems.



note the top has "cargo fire" there are other automatic systems for fire suppression, many of which would have alerted the people at Rolls Royce or Malaysian air that they were being used.
Also the controls to dump fuel, air and change pressurization are all right there.

This is a 777 panel


This is what a panel that has burned up looks like (this panel is below deck)

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Those oxygen masks are for loss of cabin pressure, not fires. And yes, there's a difference.

Somebody's not paying attention to their pre-flight safety demonstrations.

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and you still aren't reading.

It's pure O2. you can use it in this instance. But since Halon will just make you feel loopy and like on laughing gas anyway it isn't a big deal.

Why don't you elaborate on the fire your family member had, rather than going tit for tat with my information. I have flown in the left seat many times. albeit GA still I have a little bit of knowledge of aviation and how to handle emergencies.