What happened
A scheduled international flight traveling from Dallas toward Montreal via Toronto was cruising at 33,000 feet when the crew detected smoke originating from the left aft lavatory. The aircraft, carrying 41 passengers and 5 crew members, declared an emergency after attempts to suppress the fire were unsuccessful. Air traffic control directed the plane to perform an emergency descent and diverted the flight to Greater Cincinnati International Airport in Covington, Kentucky.
The aircraft landed on runway 27L at approximately 19:20 EDT. Upon stopping, airport emergency services began firefighting operations. As passengers and crew opened several forward doors and overwing exits to evacuate, a flash fire suddenly spread through the cabin interior.
During the evacuation, 18 passengers and 3 flight attendants successfully exited via the forward doors and slides, while the pilot and first officer escaped through the cockpit windows. Tragically, 23 fatalities occurred among the passengers who were unable to exit the aircraft before the fire spread. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the incident.
Findings
Investigation into the event identified that the fire's origin remained undetermined. Several factors contributed to the high loss of life, including an underestimation of how severe the fire had become and inaccurate reports regarding the fire's progress provided to the captain. Additionally, the delay in assessing the fire's intensity and the subsequent decision-making process regarding the emergency descent significantly impacted the outcome.