Shortly after the Boeing 747-400F departed from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), a fire erupted in a cargo pallet containing lithium batteries and other combustible materials. By the time the flight crew received a warning, a “catastrophic uncontained fire” raged in the forward main cargo deck, and the cockpit soon filled with “continuous blinding smoke,” said the report by the Air Accident Investigation Sector (AAIS) of UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority.
Thermal damage to flight control cable supports and oxygen lines, and the failure of a crucial air conditioning pack, minimized the chances of survival. The pilots attempted to return to Dubai, but the captain’s oxygen supply was cut off, and he was overcome by toxic fumes while trying to retrieve a portable oxygen bottle. The first officer, alone at the controls, had trouble breathing and could not see his instruments or the view outside the windshield.
Investigators concluded that the first officer eventuall…
