Case Study: A McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71F plane operated by the United Parcel Service (UPS) made an emergency landing at the destination airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 7, 2006, after smelling smoke aboard the plane. Personnel onboard were able to evacuate following the landing. Some crew members had minor injuries and the cargo and airplane were mostly destroyed by fire which spread quickly after landing. The personnel aboard the aircraft were up to date on certification and training and were able to follow proper emergency procedures which allowed everyone to evacuate the plane in a timely manner, preserving lives. However, the UPS company policies for sharing information about dangerous goods were not adequate and the personnel onboard were unable to quickly communicate details about the dangerous goods onboard to emergency personnel. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited an inflight cargo fire from an unknown source in the cargo container area as the likely cause of the accident. The aircraft did not have up-to-date certification test requirements for fire and smoke detection systems and there was no fire suppression system aboard the plane.

Key Takeaway: Dangerous goods must be properly segregated during transport according to IATA DGR guidelines. Fire onboard an aircraft can more easily be contained with a proper fire suppression system. Proper training saves lives and is critical for all personnel involved in transporting dangerous goods by aircraft. Information about the dangerous goods aboard a cargo aircraft must be readily available to emergency personnel.