What happened
On 16 April 2012, an Airbus A3/330-343, registration G-VSXY, was operating a flight from London Gatwick Airport to Orlando, USA, carrying 304 passengers and 14 crew members. Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the crew received a series of smoke warnings originating from the aft cargo hold. In response to the persistent alarms, the commander elected to return to London Gatwick.
During the flight, the crew performed emergency procedures, including the discharge of fire extinguishing agents into the cargo compartment. Despite these actions, the smoke warnings continued intermittently. Upon landing at Gatwick, the aircraft was brought to a halt on the runway. Due to conflicting information regarding the presence of fire and the continued smoke warnings, the commander ordered an emergency evacuation. While the majority of passengers exited the aircraft within 90 seconds, the evacuation resulted in two serious injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's systems and the sequence of events leading to the evacuation. The investigation established that the smoke warnings were spurious and that no actual fire or smoke was present in the cargo hold. Technical analysis focused on the smoke detection system, specifically the behavior of the thermistors and the CAN Bus wiring.
The investigation also reviewed the evacuation process, noting that one escape slide at Door 4R failed to fully inflate due to a packing fold. Furthermore, communication errors were identified, including a misunderstanding by Air Traffic Control regarding the location of the aircraft and a delay in notifying emergency services about the evacuation status.