00-01-28           .....

Had a chance to discuss the tests with John.  Everything right now is preliminary, but it seems that smoke was smelled in the G1-G2 galley area during two tests.  Smoke was smelled in the cockpit during one test with the curtain open, and then during the last test, ‘J’ with the handheld dragger at the cockpit door.  Also discussed various ideas regarding the volume of smoke and potential locations.  Generally speaking, it would take a large volume of smoke to allow it to be smelled in the cockpit, especially if it originated further to the aft.  This would mean that the ‘fire’ would burn or smoke for some time before being smelled.  However, on what would it burn during this period?  Keep in mind that nothing of importance was knocked out before the time it was smelled.  While many wires are present that are neither important nor monitored by the FDR, they are all bundled.  Surely one wire within the bundles would have been monitored or belong to something of importance.  If this is so, then it would seem that for some time, there was a ‘fire’ that provided sufficient smoke without destroying important wires.  It likely tends to rule out a short circuit in the Lav ‘B’, Lav ‘A’ areas.  It does not rule out the use of an incendiary device in these areas.  As for ‘BORN’, again it would appear to require quite a large ‘fire’ generating smoke for it to have been smelled at the 1.1 door.  These are preliminary observations that will have to be very closely viewed.  In general, much has been learned, but nothing has been ruled out yet.

It is also of importance to note that GARSTANG would like to run further tests, which I agree should be done.  He has only briefly mentioned it to GERDEN and nothing has been suggested to BOEING.  However SWISSAIR is willing to provide an aircraft at a future time.  It is also important to note that the inclusion of the IFT equipment is not required.  The re-circ fans provide such a draw that the IFT equipment seems to be of no consequence.

(Clarification:)    We were testing the airflow in the forward portion of the aircraft, both in the forward galley area, overhead the forward galley area, and the cockpit area.  At no time was there a question regarding the airflow in any of the passenger areas because there was no evidence of fire in or from those areas.  The G1-G2 galleys are directly behind the cockpit wall, at the two forward doorways.  Lav 'A' and 'B' are just behind the two forward door positions.  The 'BORN' matter involves a previous flight to the Far East during which a burning smell was encountered by one of the flight attendants.  The matter was fully checked out and subsequent flights encountered no problems until this flight.