any indications of fire prior to the sounding in the cockpit of the main deck cargo warning alarm bell. None of the warning systems was recovered from the ocean.
The Boeing Flight Manual approved for the aeroplane does not prescribe emergency procedures for a main deck cargo fire but these procedures are contained in the Operations Manual and are included in the Operator's emergency check list carried in the cockpit. (See Appendix D Volume 2 pp 19–20.) The check list specifies that the flight crew should don their oxygen masks (and smoke goggles, if needed) and that a flight attendant must don an oxygen mask and portable oxygen cylinder and at the captain's direction enter the cargo compartment. The flight attendant must then close the partition door, unclip the fire extinguisher from its stowage, unclip the cargo net gate, remove the 3 m long applicator from its stowage and attach it to the extinguisher nozzle, find the source of the fire and apply the extinguishant. The areoplane must be landed at the nearest suitable aerodrome.
