What happened
Following the successful landing at Honolulu, the flight crew performed standard braking maneuvers before exiting the runway to proceed toward the parking area. During this taxi phase, cabin attendants alerted the pilot to the presence of smoke inside the passenger compartment.
In response to the alert, the aircraft was brought to an immediate halt to facilitate an emergency evacuation. All 22 occupants on board successfully exited the aircraft type without sustaining any injuries. However, the fire caused extensive damage to the airframe, leading the aircraft to be declared a total loss.
Findings
Investigation into the incident identified that the fire originated from an internal electrical malfunction. The primary cause was an undetected short circuit located within the left nickel-cadmium battery. This fault led to a buildup of heat energy over an unspecified duration, eventually triggering a thermal runaway process.