The History of Cargo Federal Aviation

Administration
Compartment Fire
Protection in
Transport Aircraft

Presented to: IASFPWG, Cologne, Germany

By: Richard Hill
Date: 05/2017
1965 25.855 Cargo compartment requirements

• Cargo compartments must meet one of the

class requirements of Title 14 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Sec. 25.857.
– http://www.ecfr.gov/
• Flight tests to demonstrate extinguishing
system and smoke, gas exclusion.

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1965 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification

• Class B. (1) Sufficient access in flight for

crew to effectively reach any part of the
compartment with the contents of a hand
fire extinguisher;
(2) No hazardous quantity of smoke, flames,
or extinguishing agent, will enter any
compartment occupied by the crew or
passengers;
(3) Smoke detector or fire detector system
(4) There is a fire-resistant lining.
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1965 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification

• Class C. (1) There is a separate approved smoke

detector or fire detector system.
(2) There is an approved built-in fire-extinguishing
system
• (3) Exclude hazardous quantities of smoke, flames,
or extinguishing agent, from crew or passengers;
(4) Control ventilation and drafts within the
compartment so that the extinguishing agent used
can control any fire that may start within the
compartment; and
(5) There is a fire-resistant lining.

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1965 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification

• Class D. (1) A fire occurring in it will be completely confined

without endangering the safety of the airplane or the
occupants;
(2) Exclude hazardous quantities of smoke, flames, or other
noxious gases, from the crew or passengers;
(3) Ventilation and drafts are controlled within each
compartment so that any fire likely to occur in the
compartment will not progress beyond safe limits;
(4) There is a fire-resistant lining; and
(5) Consideration is given to the effect of heat within the
compartment on adjacent critical parts of the airplane.
For compartments of 500 cu. ft. or less, an airflow of 1500 cu.
ft. per hour is acceptable.

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1965 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification

• Class E. On airplanes used only for the carriage of

cargo and in which--
(1) There is a fire-resistant lining;
(2) There is a separate approved smoke or fire
detector system;
(3) There are means to shut off the ventilating
airflow to, or within, the compartment;
(4) There are means to exclude hazardous
quantities of smoke, flames, or noxious gases, from
the flight crew; and
(5) The required crew emergency exists are
accessible under any cargo loading condition.
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1965 25.851 Fire extinguishers

• Built-in fire extinguishers. If a built-in fire

extinguishing system is required--
(1) The capacity of each system, in relation to the
volume of the compartment where used and the
ventilation rate, must be adequate for any fire likely
to occur in that compartment; and
(2) Each system must be installed so that--
(i) No extinguishing agent likely to enter personnel
compartments will be hazardous to the occupants

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• Mid 1960’s large transport aircraft used
Class D, no Class C compartments.
• https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/rd7042.pdf
• Wide body aircraft late 60’s early 70’s
required to use Class C for compartments
larger than 2000 cubic feet.
• Halon 1301 was accepted as agent.
• Requirements: 5% knock down, 3% duration
of flight. -Testing on class A materials.
• https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/rd71-68.pdf

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• Pan American World Airways Clipper Flight 160,
• B707 Cargo Aircraft - Boston, Logan Airport
• PROBABLE CAUSE: The presence of smoke in the cockpit which
was continuously generated and uncontrollable. Source of the
smoke could not be established conclusively, the National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) believes that the spontaneous
chemical reaction between leaking acid, improperly packaged and
stowed, and the improper sawdust packing surrounding the acid's
package.
• Operational changes were made post accident.
• http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19731103-1

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• August 19, 1980, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Flight 163, Lockheed
L-1011, HZ-AHK, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Cargo fire in-flight in Class D compartment from unknown
source. All 301 passengers and crew members died in the
accident.
• http://lessonslearned.faa.gov/ll_main.cfm?TabID=1&LLID=27
• Post accident testing showed problems with liner
requirements.
• https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/faa82-156.pdf
• New liner test developed and required

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1986 25.855 Cargo compartment requirements

• Ceiling and sidewall liner panels of Class C

and D compartments must meet the test
requirements of Part III of Appendix F of this
Part or other approved equivalent methods.

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1986 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification

• Class D: The compartment volume does not

exceed 1,000 cubic feet.
For compartments of 500 cu. ft. or less, an
airflow of 1500 cu. ft. per hour is acceptable.

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• November 28, 1987, South African Airways Flight 295,
Mauritius, Indian Ocean
• Cargo fire in-flight in Class B cargo compartment on “Combi”
aircraft. All 159 passengers and crew members died in the
accident.
• http://lessonslearned.faa.gov/ll_main.cfm?TabID=1&LLID=33
• Testing showed changes needed to Class B concept.
• https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/96-5.pdf
• Post accident changes made to class B compartments, Combi
aircraft compartments changed to class F.

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• May 11, 1996, ValuJet Airlines Flight 592, McDonnell Douglas
Model DC-9-32, N904VJ, Everglades, Near Miami Florida
• Cargo fire in-flight in Class D compartment of passenger
aircraft. All 110 passengers and crew members died in the
accident.
• The NTSB determined the fire was initiated by the actuation of
one or more chemical oxygen generators which were being
improperly carried as cargo.
• http://lessonslearned.faa.gov/ll_main.cfm?TabID=1&LLID=10
• Post accident testing showed limitation of Class D
compartments and problems with dangerous goods carried.
• Post accident changes in the U.S. include: Elimination of
Class D cargo compartments, Over-packs for oxygen
transport and the development of a minimum performance
standard for cargo fire suppression systems.
• https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/00-28.pdf

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1990 25.855 Cargo compartment requirements

• Ceiling and sidewall liner panels of Class C

compartments must meet the test
requirements of Part III of Appendix F of this
part or other approved equivalent methods.

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1989 121.314 Cargo and baggage compartments

• After March 20, 1991, each Class C or D

compartment, as defined in § 25.857 of Part 25 of
this Chapter, greater than 200 cubic feet in volume
in a transport category airplane type certificated
after January 1, 1958, must have ceiling and
sidewall liner panels which are constructed of:
(1) Glass fiber reinforced resin; (2) Materials which
meet the test requirements of Part 25, Appendix F,
Part III of this Chapter; or
• (3) In the case of liner installations approved prior
to March 20, 1989, aluminum.

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1998 121.314 Cargo and baggage compartments

• After March 19, 2001, each Class D

compartment, regardless of volume, must
meet the standards of Secs. 25.857(c) and
25.858 of this Chapter for a Class C
compartment unless the operation is an all-
cargo operation in which case each Class D
compartment may meet the standards in
Sec. 25.857(e) for a Class E compartment.

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• DC10-10CF, N68055, NEWBURGH/STEWART, NEW YORK,
U.S.A., 05-SEP-1996 https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/adb/adb/ADBview_text.asp?REF=19960905B
• DC8-71F, N748UP, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A.,
07-FEB-2006 https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/ADB/adb/ADBview.asp?REF=20060207A
• B747-44AF, N571UP, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 03-
SEP-2010 https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/ADB/adb/ADBview_text.asp?REF=20100903A
• B747-400F, HL-7604, JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA, 27-JUL-2
https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/ADB/adb/ADBview.asp?REF=20110727A

• Operational and dangerous goods packaging changes.

• Cost/Benefit for Class E fire suppression system.
• https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/09-17.pdf

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2016 25.855 Cargo compartment requirements
• The compartment must meet one of the class requirements of Sec.
25.857.
• (b) Each of the following cargo or baggage compartments, as
defined in § 25.857, must have a liner that is separate from, but may
be attached to, the airplane structure:
•
(1) Any Class B through Class E cargo or baggage compartment, and
(2) Any Class F cargo or baggage compartment, unless other means
of containing a fire and protecting critical systems and structure are
provided.
•
(c) Ceiling and sidewall liner panels of Class C cargo or baggage
compartments, and ceiling and sidewall liner panels in Class F cargo
or baggage compartments, if installed to meet the requirements of
paragraph (b)(2) of this section, must meet the test requirements of
part III of appendix F of this part or other approved equivalent
methods.

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1998 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification

• Removed Class D

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2016 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification
• Class B:
• There is sufficient access in flight to enable a
crewmember, standing at any one access point and
without stepping into the compartment, to
extinguish a fire occurring in any part of the
compartment using a hand fire extinguisher; (2)
When the access provisions are being used, no
hazardous quantity of smoke, flames, or
extinguishing agent, will enter any compartment
occupied by the crew or passengers;
• (3) There is a separate approved smoke detector or
fire detector system to give warning at the pilot or
flight engineer station
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2016 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification
• Class C:
• (1) There is a separate approved smoke detector or
fire detector system to give warning at the pilot or
flight engineer station. (2) There is an approved
built-in fire extinguishing or suppression system
controllable from the cockpit.
• (3) There are means to exclude hazardous
quantities of smoke, flames, or extinguishing agent,
from any crew or passengers;
• (4) There are means to control ventilation and
drafts within the compartment so that the
extinguishing agent used can control any fire that
may start within the compartment

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2016 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification
• Class E:
• (2) There is a separate approved smoke or fire
detector system to give warning at the pilot or flight
engineer station;
• (3) There are means to shut off the ventilating
airflow to, or within, the compartment, and the
controls for these means are accessible to the
flight crew in the crew compartment;
• (4) There are means to exclude hazardous
quantities of smoke, flames, or noxious gases, from
the flight crew compartment; and
• (5) The required crew emergency exits are
accessible under any cargo loading condition.
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2016 25.857 Cargo Compartment Classification

• Class F: Cargo or baggage compartment must be

located on the main deck and is one in which—
(1) There is a separate approved smoke detector or
fire detector system to give warning at the pilot or
flight engineer station; (2) There are means to
extinguish or control a fire without requiring a
crewmember to enter the compartment; and
• (3) There are means to exclude hazardous
quantities of smoke, flames, or extinguishing agent
from any compartment occupied by the crew or
passengers.

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2016 25.851 Fire extinguishers

• The capacity of each required built-in fire

extinguishing system must be adequate for any fire
likely to occur in the compartment where used,
considering the volume of the compartment and the
ventilation rate. The capacity of each system is
adequate if there is sufficient quantity of agent to
extinguish the fire or suppress the fire anywhere
baggage or cargo is placed within the cargo
compartment for the duration required to land and
evacuate the airplane.

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The way forward:
1. Class C & E compartments have different
fire control requirements.
2. Class C compartment have been very
effective. (no fatal accidents)
3. Class E compartments have had problems
and cost effective improvements are being
explored. (containers, with or without
suppression and covers)

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Class C Compartments
(Passenger Aircraft)

• Present:
– Bulk shipment of lithium metal and lithium ion
batteries forbidden.
– Airlines to do System Safety Assessment (SSA).
– Suppression system must be able to control “fires
likely to occur.”
– Testing has shown that current Halon 1301 systems
cannot control lithium metal or lithium ion battery
fires.

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Class C Compartments
(Passenger Aircraft)

• When is a lithium battery fire one that is

likely to occur?
– Must be determined by airline doing SSA.
• When carried on every flight – Likely.
• When not carried on any flights – Unlikely.
• Likely to occur, somewhere in-between.
• How can an airline control the percentage of
flights that lithium batteries are carried?

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Class C Compartments
(Passenger Aircraft)

• Other methods to make lithium battery fires

not fires that are likely to occur.
– Packaging that reduces the risk of lithium batteries
being involved in a fire to a level that is acceptable.
(no longer a fire likely to occur)
– Adding additional controls in the compartments such
that lithium or lithium ion battery fires can be
controlled. Examples might be Covers, Containers,
and/or additional suppression agent/system.

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Class E Compartments (Freighters)

• Present:
– Bulk carriage of both lithium metal and lithium ion
batteries allowed.
– Lithium ion batteries must be at a state of charge of
30% or less.
– Airlines to do System Safety Assessment (SSA).
– Other fire hazards being addressed

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Class E Compartments (Freighters)

• Reduce the risk of the bulk carriage of

lithium batteries to an acceptable level.
– Reduced state of charge for lithium ion batteries
• Effect on batteries with equipment?
– Packaging requirements for lithium metals
– Packaging requirements for lithium ions
– Cargo Containers, with or without suppression
– Fire Containment Covers
– Separation

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