What happened
On July 19, 2001, at 07:37 UTC, an Airbus A320-211, registered as EC-FIC, was operating a scheduled commercial flight from Munich to Madrid. While en route, the flight crew received alerts indicating the presence of smoke within the aircraft's lavatories and the aft cargo compartment. Due to the nature of the alert, the crew initiated an emergency descent and diverted the aircraft to Zurich Airport.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the source of the smoke detected in the passenger lavatories and the rear cargo hold. The aircraft was carrying a total of 121 people, including 115 passengers and 6 crew members. Upon landing at Zurich, the aircraft was inspected to determine the origin of the smoke and whether any fire had occurred in the cargo area or the cabin facilities.