Aviastar-TU Flight 6534
| Industry | Aviation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Not specified , Russia |
| Products | Cargo air transport services |
Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence
Aviastar-TU Flight 6534 was an international cargo service flying from Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport in Hangzhou, China to Tolmachevo Airport in Novosibirsk, Russia. On 8 January 2022, the aircraft caught fire during pushback operations. All eight crew members onboard evacuated safely, although three suffered minor injuries.[1] The investigation determined that the cause was an oxygen leak within the cockpit.[2]
Aircraft
The airplane involved was a Tupolev Tu-204-100C freighter bearing the registration RA-64032. It was initially delivered to Perm Airlines in 2002.[3] Since 2004, it had been operated by Aviastar-TU.[4] In 2019, the aircraft received a repaint featuring the branding of the Chinese logistics firm Cainiao,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[4] and at the time of the incident, it was performing a flight for Cainiao.[1] Equipped with two PS-90A engines, this aircraft had a maximum payload capacity of 28,500 kg.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Crew
The flight was staffed by eight crew members. The captain, a Russian male aged 60, had accumulated 12,587 flight hours. The first officer, also a Russian male aged 62, possessed 3,876 hours of flight experience. The flight engineer was a 61-year-old Russian male with 15,803 hours logged. Additionally, the team included a relief captain, a relief first officer, a relief flight engineer, and two maintenance technicians.
Accident
At 04:34:37 local time, the aircraft commenced pushback from stand 204, ahead of its scheduled departure at 04:40. Following the preflight checklist procedures, the First Officer activated the test button on the oxygen mask located to his right at 04:34:54. This action triggered an oxygen leak that persisted for two minutes and twenty-five seconds. During this interval, three distinct flames appeared, rapidly escalating into a cockpit fire.
The fire engulfed the area housing the cockpit's fire extinguisher, prompting the crew to open the cockpit door and request an additional portable extinguisher from the relief crew. The aircraft halted movement at 04:35:17, and evacuation procedures began immediately. Unfortunately, the escape rope compartments in the cockpit were consumed by flames and could not be utilized during evacuation. Consequently, crew members had to exit by jumping from exits approximately 3.9 metres (12 feet) above ground level since the aircraft lacked inflatable evacuation slides. By 04:38:02, all crew had evacuated; three sustained minor injuries due to the height of their escape.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene within two minutes of the fire’s outbreak. The blaze spread rapidly inside the aircraft, extending into the cargo hold before consuming the roof and causing structural failure that broke the airframe into three major sections. Publicly recorded footage showed thick smoke emerging from the fuselage behind the cockpit area. Firefighting efforts successfully extinguished the blaze by 09:40, allowing airport operations to continue uninterrupted. The aircraft suffered damage beyond repair.
Investigation
The Eastern Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China initiated a formal inquiry into the incident, with the final report subsequently translated into English and published by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK).[5]
Airport CCTV footage captured the progression of the fire within the cockpit.[6] Investigators excluded several possible fire causes, such as arson, cigarette use, and issues related to lithium-ion batteries.[2] The investigation concluded that:
The oxygen system components located inside the right-hand console of the crew area malfunctioned, causing oxygen to leak and create a temporary oxygen-rich atmosphere in the confined space. Heat generated or emitted by aircraft components and systems in this vicinity ignited combustible materials within this enriched oxygen environment.[7][8]
The presence of leaking oxygen accelerated both the ignition and expansion of the fire.[7] The specific reason for the oxygen system failure was not disclosed. Following the investigation, recommendations were made to thoroughly inspect crew oxygen systems on Tu-204 and Tu-214 aircraft models to confirm there are no leaks.[3]
See also
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- EgyptAir Flight 804 – Another airplane incident attributed to a cockpit fire caused by an oxygen leak, as reported by BEA.
- Kolavia Flight 348
- Air Busan Flight 391
Notes
References
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