On August 6, 2024, a TUI Airlines Belgium Boeing 737-800, registration OO-TUK, made an emergency landing at Brussels Airport after the pilots received a cargo fire indication. The flight, TB-2252, was en route from Heraklion, Greece, to Brussels, Belgium, with 123 people on board.
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As the aircraft was on approach to Brussels' runway 25L, the crew received a cargo fire indication for the forward cargo hold. They immediately contacted the tower to report the situation and requested emergency services to meet the aircraft upon landing. However, after about 5-6 minutes, the fire indication went out, and the crew questioned whether a full emergency response was still necessary.
Upon landing on runway 25L, the aircraft stopped, and the crew advised that the fire indication had come back on, prompting them to initiate an evacuation. Emergency slides were deployed, and all 123 passengers and crew members were safely evacuated from the plane. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported during the evacuation.
The incident caused some panic among the passengers, as the call to evacuate was made by the pilot and cabin crew. Cargo hold fires are treated very seriously, as there is no way for the crew to identify the source or fight the fire when the plane is in the air. The exact cause of the cargo fire indication is still under investigation. However, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of following emergency procedures and the professionalism of the flight crew in ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew members on board.