In-Flight Electrical Fires

Let me start off by saying that I hope I NEVER have to experience this.  Who wouldn't, right??

In-flight electrical fires are definitely rare, but if one were to occur, you want to be prepared and have the knowledge of what to do to keep yourself safe.  The KEY point that the article stresses is that your first priority should be getting the plane on the ground safely.  Obviously, you don't want to stay in the air and try to get things to work.  Fix the situation so that you can get on the ground as quickly as possible with minimal damage to the aircraft.  That is what the checklists and emergency procedures help us to do.

The Seminole checklist for an electrical fire is as follows:

Battery Master.....OFF
Alternator Switches.....OFF
All Electrical Switches.....OFF
Radio Master Switch.....OFF
Vents.....Closed (to avoid drafts)
Cabin Heat.....OFF

It then says to reset circuit breakers, only if critical, and only one essential device at a time.  (Our Seminole checklist has a list of all the circuit breakers and which ones can or cannot be reset.)  The reason for this is is that resetting circuit breakers can re-create the situation that caused the problem in the first place, potentially causing the fire to reignite.

This article relates to our procedure in the Seminole because both resources give us a lot of the same information and procedures for handling such an emergency.  I really think it's good to see these procedures over and over and have them reiterated for us, because these key rules for dealing with an in-flight emergency, such as an electrical fire, are so critical for a safe outcome.  I feel like I have an even better idea of what to do if the situation ever presents itself.  If there's one main thing to take away from this article, it's to STAY CALM, FOLLOW PROCEDURES, and GET THE PLANE ON THE GROUND as soon as practical.

-TB

P.S.  A "short circuit" means that electricity is flowing along a different path than the one intended.  Electricity may be arcing between a damaged or exposed wire & a different circuit, or directly to a ground source.  When this happens, huge amounts of current are pulled through the wire, which could damage it and/or start a fire.