AN investigation into a cockpit fire on board a flight bound for the Gold Coast has found it was caused by a fault in the windshield heating system.
After the Jetstar Airbus A330 flight left Osaka Japan on June 10, 2009, the flight crew saw flames at the base of the right main windshield.
The crew managed to extinguish the fire and the flight, containing 186 adult passengers and four infants, was diverted to Guam.
No one was injured.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s report says the heating system caught fire due to an electrical fault with the windshield system.
It says a sealant used within the electrical connector terminal block overheated and came into contact with wires in the block.
”Windshields manufactured with terminal block fittings containing polysulfide sealant (PR1829) have been shown to be predisposed to premature overheating failure that could lead to the development of a localised fire,” the report said.
After the incident the aircraft manufacturer replaced 1500 windshields which had been made using the sealant.
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