What happened
On June 1, 2024, at approximately 09:20 UTC, a scheduled commercial flight, identified as AR1638, was performing its initial climb following departure from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (SABE). The aircraft, a Boeing 737-8SH with registration LV-FVN, was en route to Neuquén (SAZN). During the early stages of the ascent, the flight crew received an automated fire alarm indicating a potential fire within the cargo compartment. In response to the alert, the crew declared an emergency and initiated an immediate return to Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires.
The aircraft landed safely at Ezeiza without further incident. There were no injuries reported among the 6 crew members or the 99 passengers on board, and the aircraft sustained no damage during the event.
The investigation
The JST investigation focused on the activation of the cargo compartment fire detection system during the climb phase. The inquiry examined the operational sequence from the departure at Aeroparque to the emergency landing at Ezeiza, reviewing the aircraft's technical status and the crew's emergency response procedures.