Most effecient fire extinguisher to battle in flight fire

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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Most efficient fire extinguisher to battle in flight fire

Currently I have this little ~Liter sized plain old extinguisher.

Is this the best thing for battling an elec. fire in flight?
Shut off all the master and go at it w/ this thing.

I can't imagine it would last more than a few seconds.
If that doesn't put it out, you're done.

Is that the best tool in the event that this should occur?
If not, what is better?
 
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Eh, it's electrical, eventually all the wiring will burn, metal doesn't burn that easily, and you'll be fine. Unless you fly a plastic airplane...
 
The guys who had a mid-air near Boulder rode down on the 'chute while burning. It didn't work out so well for them and I don't think a bigger extinguisher would have helped...
 
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Clark1961 said:
The guys had a mid-air near Boulder rode done on the 'chute while burning. It didn't work out so well for them and I don't think a bigger extinguisher would have helped...
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That's what got me thinking.
I was cleaning the plane and the extinguisher rolled out form the front of the seat and I got to thinking about that particular incident.

I know that was not an elec. fire and lots more variables there but got to wondering of my little can would really be very effective if I had to use it.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
That's what got me thinking.
I was cleaning the plane and the extinguisher rolled out form the front of the seat and I got to thinking about that particular incident.

I know that was not an elec. fire and lots more variables there but got to wondering of my little can would really be very effective if I had to use it.
Click to expand...

that fire could have been avoided by looking out the window...

I flew out of BDU this morning. That airspace gets busy. Eyes out and head on a swivel.
 
Halon and otherwise get the hell on the ground (and I mean the GROUND not necessarily a runway) if you can't get it out quickly.
 
And if you get an extinguisher for the hangar: avoid the ABC type, and go for the BC.

ABC extinguishers use ammonium phosphate It will form a crust to choke out oxygen, that's why it will work on A fires (wood and paper). But that ammonium phosphate will flow into small spaces and will become very corrosive to aluminum and electronics. You could save your plane from the fire, but total it from the extinguisher.

BC extinguishers use either sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate (brand name "Purple K"). You can go to the fuel island or fuel truck and take a look at the extinguishers there - they will be BC rated. You can find BC extinguishers labeled as "kitchen" type extinguishers. The agent will remain a powder and can be blown out or washed out for clean up.
 
The BIGGEST one you can carry !!!!! The little ones are only to put out fires on YOU !
 
Mine is a 1.4#Halotron. I know it works because I've put out one Red Dragon pre-heater fire and one induction fire in my own plane with the same size units. The engine fire was close. I would have liked a bigger extinguisher that time but it did the job. Sometimes the extinguisher is important on the ground, too. If I could fit a bigger one across my seat base I would but this one fits well.
 
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Re: Most efficient fire extinguisher to battle in flight fire

SixPapaCharlie said:
Currently I have this little ~Liter sized plain old extinguisher.

Is this the best thing for battling an elec. fire in flight?
Shut off all the master and go at it w/ this thing.

I can't imagine it would last more than a few seconds.
If that doesn't put it out, you're done.

Is that the best tool in the event that this should occur?
If not, what is better?
Click to expand...

Whatever the Halon replacement you can buy now. Anything else will incapacitate you in the cabin.
 
Matthew said:
And if you get an extinguisher for the hangar: avoid the ABC type, and go for the BC.

ABC extinguishers use ammonium phosphate It will form a crust to choke out oxygen, that's why it will work on A fires (wood and paper). But that ammonium phosphate will flow into small spaces and will become very corrosive to aluminum and electronics. You could save your plane from the fire, but total it from the extinguisher.

BC extinguishers use either sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate (brand name "Purple K"). You can go to the fuel island or fuel truck and take a look at the extinguishers there - they will be BC rated. You can find BC extinguishers labeled as "kitchen" type extinguishers. The agent will remain a powder and can be blown out or washed out for clean up.
Click to expand...

Discharge a dry chem in a cockpit and you'll choke on the dust.
 
Henning said:
Discharge a dry chem in a cockpit and you'll choke on the dust.
Click to expand...

Yeah - halon (or whatever replaced it) for in-cockpit use.

I know people just grab a dry chem extinguisher from the hardware store and stick it in the corner of the hangar. They are not all the same.
 
flyingron said:
His first line says he was talking about using it in a hangar.
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Understood, but I address this:

Currently I have this little ~Liter sized plain old extinguisher.

Is this the best thing for battling an elec. fire in flight?
Shut off all the master and go at it w/ this thing.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, only concerned about in flight.
If there is a fire in the hangar, I am going to walk the other direction.
 
Art VanDelay said:
The BIGGEST one you can carry !!!!! The little ones are only to put out fires on YOU !
Click to expand...

Interesting comment, ever seen an HRD etinguisher before? The bottles used to fight engine fires on transport category aircraft are smaller than a basketball. The APU bottle is a little bigger than a softball.

The lavatory trash bottle is also, small.
 
Has your plane ever been on fire? Trust in my extinguisher took on new meaning after that!
 
Avoid fire extinguishers made by Protection RT in Quebec, Canada. They leak and become empty very fast.

If you have one, check its weight frequently -- monthly or even daily -- by weighing it or hefting it. The rate of product returns by customers was so bad that the distributor (H3R Aviation) issued a service bulletin March 23, 2015 recommending that “Weigh this unit before each flight.”
 
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