NTSB investigators found that the early stages of a fire
burning inside a cargo container are concealed from
detection. In later stages, when the fire grows and does
become detectable, it rapidly intensifies and burns
through the container to become a substantial threat to
the aircraft and crew. In the UAE crash, the crew had
just 2 ½ minutes between the fire detection and the
onset of aircraft system failures.
"I also want to commend the air cargo industry for
actively researching and implementing new fire
prevention and suppression technologies," said
Hersman, who was briefed this week by UPS on its
efforts. FedEx is in the process of installing a
fire-suppression system on its long-haul fleet.
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