Newly overhauled aircraft has electrical fire en route from Kaliningrad (210 words)

Published: 9/4/2000

A Kaliningradavia Tu-134 carrying 50 passengers and crew had a fire in its cabin during a flight from Kaliningrad's Kharbrovo Airport to Vnukovo Airport in August. According to reports twenty minutes prior to landing at Moscow, there was a shortcircuit in the wiring of a control panel above a passenger seat, leading to a fire. It took the crew three to five minutes to bring the fire, which is reported to have filled the aircraft with smoke, under control. The pilot of the aircraft did not consider that the fire ever presented a threat to the aircraft and the main problem was smoke. If an emergency landing had been required, the aircraft was close to Vitebsk when the fire started. The aircraft had only just returned to service, with the airline having been overhauled by the Minsk Repair Plant two weeks earlier. Vladislav Filipenko, General Director of Kaliningradavia, says the short in the wiring system was caused by a mistake at the repair plant after an investigation by the airline, federal investigators and the repair plant. The airline as yet has lodged no claim for damages against the plant, where another of its Tu-134 is being overhauled.

Article ID: 2056