What happened
On October 5, 2024, at 1510 Pacific daylight time, a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321-211, registration N701FR, was landing on runway 26L at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The flight originated from San Diego International Airport (SAN).
While cruising at flight level 290, the cabin crew notified the flight deck of an unidentified chemical odor in the forward section of the aircraft. The flight crew subsequently detected an acrid, pungent smell in the cockpit that evolved to resemble burning rubber or petroleum products. The crew donned oxygen masks and initiated the SMOKE/FUMES/AVNCS SMOKE checklist. During this process, the crew noted that aircraft systems, including the autopilot and autothrottles, began to degrade.
Because the source of the odor could not be determined, the captain elected to perform the electrical emergency configuration (ELEC EMER CONFIG) procedure. This action deployed the ram air turbine, which resulted in the loss of display screens, radio, and transponder functionality on the first officer's side. The flight data recorder lost power at 1501 as a result of this configuration.
During the approach, the captain relied on outside visual references because the primary flight display (PFD) provided limited data. The aircraft touched down on runway 26L at 1510. Upon touchdown, the captain applied full reverse thrust and braking, noting that the auto brakes and anti-skid systems were inoperative. A witness reported hearing two loud bangs as the tires exploded approximately three seconds after touchdown, followed by smoke and fire around the tires.
Visual evidence showed smoke trailing the main landing gear, followed by flames near the left main landing gear. The flames extinguished before the aircraft came to a complete stop. Although airport responders initially reported a right engine fire, the crew noted no such indications in the cockpit. The crew opted not to evacuate the aircraft after firefighters confirmed the fire was extinguished and smoke was no longer a threat. There were no injuries among the 190 passengers and seven crewmembers.
The investigation
Data from the Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor system showed that at 1449, a fault was detected in a fan unit used to cool the avionics compartment. The unit was recovered for examination. The flight data recorder stopped recording approximately nine minutes before touchdown due to the loss of electrical power during the emergency electrical configuration. The cockpit voice recorder captured the entire flight.