In-flight fires & the emergency descent

A fire means land immediately

Definition

An in-flight fire or smoke is the most time-critical emergency in the airplane — a cabin fire can fill the cockpit with toxic smoke and incapacitate you in minutes. You still run ABCDE, but a fire bends it: A becomes an emergency descent (Vno, not best glide), B becomes the spot you can reach soonest (accept a worse field to get down faster), C is the fire memory items for the type, and D and E come as time allows.

Explanation

With a fire, time — not distance — is the enemy. Get the airplane pointed down and toward the ground, run the memory items for the kind of fire, and land.

Step (fire twist)	What changes
A — Airspeed	Emergency descent — fly Vno to get DOWN fast, not best glide for distance.
B — Best place	The spot you can reach SOONEST — accept a worse field to get down faster.
C — Checklist	The fire memory items for the type (engine / electrical / cabin), then land.
D — Declare	Nearest tower + squawk 7700 — as time allows.
E — Explain	Brief the passengers and prep egress: doors, how to get out fast once stopped.

Why it matters

The pilots who die in fires kept troubleshooting, or flew toward a better airport while the smoke won. A fire is a race against the clock — a controlled landing at the nearest survivable spot beats staying airborne.

Common error

Students apply the engine-failure best-glide plan to a fire. A fire is the opposite — you want down fast, not far.

You have an engine fire in flight. Do you set up a best-glide profile like an engine failure?

Airplane Flying Handbook — Emergency procedures — fire in flight

Engine fire in flight

Definition

Flames or smoke from the cowling, or a fuel smell with rising temperatures. The response starves the fire: mixture to IDLE CUTOFF, fuel selector OFF, fuel pump OFF, and cabin heat and air OFF so you don’t draw smoke or flame into the cabin. Then establish the emergency descent to the nearest spot and land.

Explanation

Cutting the fuel removes what feeds the fire. Unlike an engine failure, you are shutting the engine down on purpose — do not try to restart it.

Engine fire in flight	Do this (exact items: POH)
Starve the fire	Mixture IDLE CUTOFF · fuel selector OFF · fuel pump OFF.
Keep it out of the cabin	Cabin heat & air OFF — don’t draw smoke or flame inside.
Get down	Establish the emergency descent to the nearest spot and land.
Do NOT restart	You shut the engine down on purpose — a relight risks reigniting the fire.

Why it matters

An engine failure may invite a restart; an engine fire does not. A relight pushes fuel back into a fire you just starved. Fuel stays off, and you fly the airplane to the ground.

Common error

The instinct to get power back is strong — but restarting a shut-down engine fire can reignite it.

The engine fire goes out during the descent. Do you restart the engine to make the field?

A DPE might ask

Engine fire in flight — walk me through your memory items.
Why don’t you restart after an engine fire?

Airplane Flying Handbook — Engine fire in flight

Electrical fire / smoke

Definition

The smell of hot insulation or acrid smoke means an electrical fire. Remove the source: MASTER OFF — that kills all electrical power. If you need equipment back, bring buses or items back one at a time per the POH to find the culprit; ventilate; and use the Halon extinguisher if there are flames. Then land.

Explanation

Killing the master removes the energy feeding the fire. Only then do you selectively restore what you truly need, watching for the smoke to return.

Electrical fire / smoke	Do this (per POH)
Remove the source	MASTER OFF — kills all electrical power.
Isolate	Need equipment back? Restore buses/items one at a time to find the culprit.
Clear the air	Ventilate per the POH; use the Halon extinguisher on flames.
Land	An electrical fire outranks the inconvenience of losing your electrics.

Why it matters

An electrical fire is one of the few things more dangerous than losing your electrical system entirely. The master-off-then-isolate priority — and your airplane’s checklist — is what stops it.

Common error

Hunting for the one bad breaker while the fire burns wastes the seconds that matter. Kill everything first.

You smell hot insulation and see smoke from the panel. Your first action is to:

Airplane Flying Handbook — In-flight electrical fire

Cabin fire & smoke

Definition

A cabin fire — upholstery, trash, a device battery. Find the source, hit it with the portable Halon extinguisher (pull the pin, aim at the base of the flames, squeeze, sweep), and manage the smoke with the vents: opening them clears smoke, but airflow can also feed a fire, so follow the POH. Prepare to land immediately.

Explanation

Beyond the flames, the real threat is the air you’re breathing — toxic smoke and carbon monoxide incapacitate. Get the fire out, get the smoke clearing, and get down.

Cabin fire & smoke	Do this
Find the source	Locate what’s burning — upholstery, trash, a device battery.
Extinguish	Portable Halon: pull the pin, aim at the base, squeeze, sweep.
Manage smoke	Vents clear smoke — but airflow can feed a flame. Follow the POH.
Watch the air	Toxic smoke and carbon monoxide incapacitate (see M3.5). Land immediately.

Why it matters

A cabin fire is the fastest to incapacitate the pilot — smoke and CO can end the flight before the fire does. Managing the smoke and landing immediately is survival, not tidiness.

Common error

Opening every vent seems like the obvious smoke fix — but airflow can turn a smolder into a flame.

Smoke fills the cabin. Opening the vents:

Airplane Flying Handbook — Cabin fire & smoke

The emergency descent

Definition

When you must get DOWN fast — a fire is the classic reason — you fly an emergency descent: reduce power to idle, configure per the POH (some airplanes: gear down and/or a specific flap setting), and descend at the POH’s emergency-descent speed, at or below Vno and never exceeding VNE. It trades distance for a rapid, controlled loss of altitude. This is the “A = Vno” case of ABCDE.

Explanation

The point is to lose altitude quickly and under control. The actual maneuver — the descending turn, the bank, the roll-out and level-off — is graded airwork you fly in Module 15; here you learn why, when, and how to configure it.

Emergency descent	How (exact numbers: POH)
Why	Get DOWN fast — a fire, or any get-down-now emergency.
Power	Throttle to idle.
Configure	Per the POH — often gear down and/or a specific flap setting.
Airspeed	The POH emergency-descent speed — at or below Vno; never exceed VNE.
Fly it	A descending turn per the POH; level off at a safe altitude. (Maneuver: Module 15.)

Why it matters

An emergency descent turns altitude into time you don’t have to spend airborne with a fire. Flown too fast it over-stresses or breaks the airplane — respect VNE.

Common error

Students reach for best glide (an engine-failure speed) or firewall it to the redline. An emergency descent is neither.

Your target speed in an emergency descent is:

A DPE might ask

When would you fly an emergency descent?
What’s your airplane’s emergency-descent speed and configuration?

Airplane Flying Handbook — Emergency descent

Run ABCDE on a fire

Definition

Put it together — smoke in the cabin at cruise. A: establish the emergency descent (Vno). B: turn toward the airport or field you can reach soonest. C: run the fire memory items for the type and the extinguisher. D: declare — nearest tower + 7700 — as able. E: brief the passengers and prep egress (doors unlatched, how to get out fast once stopped). Land and get everyone out.

Explanation

A fire is the one emergency where ‘land as soon as possible’ beats ‘land as soon as practical.’ Same ABCDE, but every step is tuned to getting down soonest.

ABCDE on a fire	Cabin smoke at cruise
A — Airspeed	Establish the emergency descent (Vno).
B — Best place	Turn toward the airport or field you can reach soonest.
C — Checklist	Fire memory items for the type + the extinguisher.
D — Declare	Nearest tower + 7700, as able.
E — Explain	Brief the passengers; doors unlatched; get everyone out once stopped.

Why it matters

A controlled off-airport landing beats staying airborne with a fire. Running ABCDE tuned for ‘soonest’ is how you turn a cabin fire into a walk-away.

Common error

The urge to reach a real runway can cost you the seconds a fire won’t give back.

Smoke and flame in the cabin: a good airport is 10 miles off and a rough field is 2 miles off. You:

Airplane Flying Handbook — Emergency procedures