However, a cargo fire in a commercial airplane that resulted in hull loss has caused the perception of cargo-fire risk to grow. Boeing has been supplying the information and installation hardware that operators need to meet the rule change deadline of March 18, 2001.įor many years, commercial airplanes have relied on oxygen deprivation to control the risk of cargo-compartment fires below the main passenger cabin. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a rule change to require airplanes registered in the United States to convert all Class D cargo compartments to Class C or Class E compartments by installing a smoke-detection system (Class E), fire-suppression system, or both (Class C), depending on whether the airplane is a passenger or freighter configuration.
![enroute 4 compartment enroute 4 compartment](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images2500x2500/thule_3204281_enroute_23l_backpack_alaska_deep_1626587.jpg)
Though the risk of fire in a cargo compartment is statistically very low, the U.S. Rule Change: Cargo-Compartment Smoke Detection & Fire SuppressionĬoncern over the potential for catastrophic in-flight fires in commercial airplane cargo compartments has focused attention on cargo compartments that depend on oxygen deprivation to prevent and suppress combustion (Class D compartments).
![enroute 4 compartment enroute 4 compartment](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/camera/thule/thule_strut_grid.04.sm.jpg)
Rule change: Cargo-compartment Smoke detection & fire Suppression