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Engine Fire System


thasitha

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Recently we had an incident in one of our bell 212 that both fire handles illuminated on recovery of auto-rotation and simultaneously number one engine has failed with visible flames.Pilots managed to land safely but what i want to know is,is there any possibility to illuminate no 2 fire handle due to no 1s heat and where do fire agents actually attack when we discharge fire bottles fixed to engines

prompt responses wiil be highly appreciated as we are in investigation process and if you have detailed description about fire system please be kind enough to send the link

thank you in advance

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I'm curious to know myself, I don't have my flight safety books right handy to read up on the system. I always thought they were independent of each other. There is a lot of firewall material separating them and I wouldn't think the heat would immediately get across engine bays to illuminate both T handles. If I had to guess (this is only speculation) there maybe an undetected fault grounding out both warning handles if one illuminates. The press to test button illuminates both handles when testing so it wouldn't show up on daily checks. 

  The 212 has the most peculiar way of developing odd gremlins. I've had the "beast" (as I like to call her) throw me some dandy 1/million curve balls over the years. 

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The fire bottles are not indipendent systems it’s one ststem with two bottles. You are able to discharge both bottles, one after the other, on one power section. The plumbing goes to piccolo tubes located underneath the power section and accessory gearbox area. The fire handle you select will determine the side the extinguisher agent will go to. 

As far as heat reaching to the other fire loop, I would say unlikely but not impossible. I would look for electrical faults first. 

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  I was referring to the initial cockpit warning indications (T handle illumination). I believe the detection sensors are independent in each engine bay, therefore if #1 side goes on fire the #2 handle is not designed to auto display a fire as well unless both engines are actually on fire.

  Yes, the bottles are plumbed to deliver the charges to either side depending on the selection of the fire bottle switch.

  

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Sounds like an interesting set of circumstances autorotation to failed engine ?! The two fire indicating systems are completely independent other than the press to test switch. It would be unlikely to have a fire from one engine set off the other fire detection loop. If the airframe wiring isn’t too damaged from said fire just short the two leads together and see if you get an indication on both handles or not. Would confirm a wiring snag. Good to hear aircraft was landed without incident 

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