Fire in the cockpit simulator video

A fire in the cockpit can have serious consequences – especially if a pilot panics and turns off the engine when its not an engine fire but a cabin or electrical fire. Moreover, the smoke alone can obscure a pilot’s vision, impact his or her lungs and be a HUGE distraction away from flying the aircraft.

Hence, the Flight Academy has recently posted a video where they simulated a cockpit fire about 2 minutes after take-off. In the video, the pilot performed all the proper procedures which included:

• Shutting off the electricity.
• Grabbing the fire extinguiser and discharging it underneath the dash in an attempt to put out the fire.
• Opening the door a little to let out the smoke.
• Look for the nearest airport (in this case, one where he could not communicate with the tower).
• Keep an eye out for other traffic.
• Come in for a landing.

Again though, the key point to remember is not to panic and turn off the engines when they aren’t the source of the fire. Turning off the engines when the fire is an electrical fire will only make your situation worst and have potentially fatal consequences.