2 June 1983 - Air Canada 797 At 16.25h CDT Flight 797 took off from Dallas for a flight to Montreal via Toronto. At 18.51h EDT, while cruising at FL330, the three aft lavatory flush motor circuit breakers tripped. The captain thought the plush motor had probably seized and waited for about eight minutes before (unsuccessfully) trying to reset them. At about the same time a strange odor was smelled at the aft of the plane. After finding out that the lavatory was full of smoke, a cabin attendant used the CO2 bottle to put out the fire (though only black smoke was seen coming out of the seams of the lavatory's walls). The first officer went over to take a look, but had to return to the cockpit to get his goggles. When returning to the cockpit at 19.07h, the 1st officer told the captain he thought it best to descend. Around that time the aircraft started developing electrical problems and a Mayday call was issued. Flight 797 stared to descend and contacted Cincinnati at 19.10h for an emergency. During the descent smoke began to fill the passenger cabin. The emergency landing was carried out on runway 27L at 19.20h. The Cincinnati fire services were not able to put out the fire, which gutted the fuselage.
Legenda CAM = Cockpit Area Mike voice or sound source
RDO = Radio Communications
-1 = Voice identified as Captain
-2 = Voice identified as First Officer
-3 = Voice identified as male flight attendant
-4 = Voice identified as female flight attendant
-5 = Voice identified as male passenger
CTR = Indianapolis Center
* = Unintelligible word
# = non pertinent word
( ) = Questionable text
--- = pauseTimes are in Central Standard Time
18.48:12 CAM [Sound similar to arcing] 18.48:15 CAM [Sound similar to arcing] 18.51:03 CAM [Two sounds similar to arcing] 18.51:04 CAM-1 How is your sea food, nice? CAM [Sounds similar to arcing and snapping] CAM-2 It's good CAM-1 * steak nice? 18.51:09 CAM-2 Different, a little bit dry but okay 18.51:14 CAM [Sounds similar to arcing and snapping] CAM-2 (What was that?) CAM-1 # 18.51:19 CAM-2 It's right here, I see it CAM-1 Yeah CAM-1 DC bus CAM-2 Which one is that? CAM-1 DC bus the, ah, left toilet, left toilet flushing 18.51:27 CAM-1 (I) better try it again, eh, push 'em in CAM-2 Push it in one more time, I guess 18.51:41 CAM [Sound of arcing] CAM-2 What! 18.51:42 CAM [Sound of arcing and snap] CAM-1 That's it 18.51:43 CAM [Sound of arcing and snap] CAM-1 Won't take it CAM-2 No CAM-1 See anything else? CAM-1 (There's nothing) on the panel CAM-1 Ha 18.52:08 CAM-1 Like a machine gun CAM-2 Yeah, zap, zap, zap CAM-1 * put it in the book, there CAM-2 Log it 18.52:26 CAM-1 Now I want to log it, eh 18.53:16 CAM-1 Somebody must have pushed a rag down the old toilet or something eh? 18.53:21 CAM-1 Jammed it, and it overheated 18.53:25 CAM-2 Is it flushing you pushed? CAM-1 It's flushing yeah CAM-2 (Motor) * 18.53:30 CAM-1 Toilet flushing, three breakers banged 18.53:35 CTR Air Canada seven ninety seven, contact Indianapolis on one three three point zero five 18.53:40 RDO-2 Air Canada seven nine seven, so long 18.53:41 CTR So long 18.53:53 RDO-1 Indianapolis Center, this is Air Canada seven nine seven maintaining three three zero direct Louisville on course 18.53:59 CTR Air Canada seven ninety seven Indianapolis Center roger 18.54:18 CAM-1 Don't see the ground too often, today eh? CAM-1 No, a lot of, a lotta cloud eh, the whole * * * the whole area RDO-? * * * 18.56:56 CAM-2 Yeah, that feels good 18.57:09 CAM-1 What the # does this mean 18.57:12 CAM-1 (Reg a bail) CAM-2 I don't know CAM-2 Regional examiner, regional * regional 18.57:36 CAM-1 We may be, I don't know, A.J. would be a three letter code if it was an airport, eh CAM-2 I don't know, it might be in the, ah, charts CAM-1 Regional --- here's another regional A.J. CAM-1 (Well it's) 18.58:16 CAM-2 That (one) is lettered D.G. * CAM-1 Oh I see, oh yeah, yeah * 18.58:27 CAM-1 Alternate, ah, must be out alternate here CAM-1 Ah who gives a # 18.58:43 CAM-1 Nothing to do with us CAM [Sound similar to cockpit door] CAM-3 Yeah thank you sir 18.59:02 CAM-? UWX 18.59:30 CAM-1 Twenty nine U, W, and X twenty nine, those are grid references 18.59:37 CAM-2 Twenty nine, yeah 18.59:42 CAM-1 Twenty nine UWX three --- the left toilet flushing CAM-2 Left 18.59:47 CAM-1 Yeah aft left toilet flush, and they wouldn't accept a reset 18.59:58 CAM [Sound of first attempt to reset and sound similar to arcing] 18.59:59 CAM [Sound of second attempt to reset and sound similar to arcing] 19.00:00 CAM [Sound of third attempt to reset and sound similar to arcing] CAM-1 Pops as I push it CAM-2 Yeah, right CAM-1 Yeah 19.00;51 CAM [Sound of cough] 19.01:12 CAM-2 Zero two seven set for ya Don 19.01:33 CAM-1 Better --- have dinner here 19.01:42 CAM [Sound of a chime] CAM-3 Yes 19.01:49 CAM-1 Sergio could I try for mine now please CAM-3 Sure CAM-1 Thank you very much 19.01:59 CAM-1 Do you want any of that fruit or should we give it to the girls -- as far as I'm concerned CAM-2 No CAM-1 I don't want it 19.02:13 CAM-1 There you go CAM-2 Thanks 19.02:15 CAM-1 You're in a left turn here to pick up oh two seven CAM-2 So okay twenty seven CAM-1 Louisville to Rosewood 19.02:28 CAM-1 The next chart yeah that's it CAM-2 Yeah 19.02:34 CAM-1 We're just over Louisville here CAM-2 [Sound of whistling] CAM-2 Louisville --- Rosewood, okay 19.02:40 CAM-4 Excuse me, there's a fire in the washroom at the back, they're just oh # went back to go to put it out CAM-1 Oh yeah CAM-4 They're still, well they're just gonna go back now CAM-2 Want me to go there 19.02:50 CAM-1 Yeah go CAM-2 * the brakers # up CAM-1 Leave my, leave my, leave my dinner in the thing there for a minute CAM-4 Okay CAM-5 (Can I buy you a drink cause there's something going on, drink or a shot) CAM-? Ah, wouldn't say that 19.03:06 CAM-5 Yeah okay CAM-? Still there huh? CAM-5 Yeah 19.03:10 CAM-2 Got the, ah, breakers pulled CAM-1 It's the motor 19.03:15 CAM-4 Pardon me CAM-2 You got all the breakers pulled out? CAM-1 The breakers are all pulled yeah 19.03:21 CAM-4 (* * make 'em all seat?) CTR Republic two eighty eight Indianapolis, Memphis one three three point eight five three three eight five, goodbye 19.03:31 CAM-4 Captain is it okay to move everybody up as far forward as possible 77L * * seven seven lima (Knoxville) * * two none zero -- CTR Seven seven lima (Knoxville) roger 19.03:54 CTR Delta sixteen twenty six continue descent to flight level two four zero, Indianapolis 19.04:00 CTR Center one two eight five five on two four zero at twenty eight fifty five so long 19.04:07 CAM-2 Okay I eh, you don't have to do it now, I can't go back now, it's too heavy, I think we'd better go down RDO-? (Cleared) ah okay 19.04:16 CAM-3 I got all the passengers seated up front, you don't have to worry I think it's gonna be easing up 19.04:23 CAM-2 Okay, its starting to clear now CAM-1 Okay 19.04:25 CAM-1 Well I want --- hold on then CAM-3 (Mike) I just can't go back it too CAM-2 I will go back if that's appears better, okay CAM-1 Yeah that's okay CAM-? That's okay, yeah CAM-2 So --- CAM-1 Take the, take the smoke mask CAM-2 You have control CAM-1 Take the goggles 19.04:36 CAM-1 I'll leave the mask on CAM-2 Okay 19.04:46 CAM-1 Okay go back whenever you can but don't get yourself incapacitated CAM-2 No problem, no problem CAM-1 Okay 19.05:15 268G Indianapolis good evening Citation two eight six golf, three one oh 19.05:18 CTR Citation two eight six gold Indianapolis 19.05:35 CAM [Electric pulse appears on tape radio channels] 19.05:36 CAM-4 Captain, your first officer wanted me to tell you that Sergio has put a big discharge of CO2 in the washroom, it seems to be subsiding, all right 268G Okay we're proceeding direct Pocket City CTR Affirmative sir, direct Pocket City direct Evensville 268G Six gold 19.05:48 B747 Center Poca seven four seven level four three zero CTR Poca seven four seven Indianapolis roger RDO-1 Memphis Center this is Air Canada seven nine seven 19.06:09 CTR Canada seven ninety seven Indianapolis Center, go ahead 19.06:12 RDO-1 Yeah, we've got an electrical problem here, we may be off communication shortly ah stand by CAM-1 (Coming along okay) CAM-3 Getting mush better, okay 19.06:42 CAM-3 I was able to discharge half of the CO2 inside the washroom even though I could not see the source but its definitely inside the lavatory 19.06:50 CAM-1 Yeah, it's from the toilet, it's from the toilet 19.06:52 CAM-3 CO2 it was almost half a bottle and it now almost cleared 19.06:54 CAM-1 Okay, thank you 19.06:55 CAM-3 Okay, good luck CAM [Sound similar to cockpit door] CAM-2 Okay, you got it * CAM-1 Yeah CAM-1 Okay 19.07:11 CAM-2 I don't like what's happening, I think we better go down, okay? CAM-1 Okay 19.07:14 CAM-2 Okay, I'll be back there in a minute 19.07:28 P362 Hello Center, Piedmont three sixty two we're level at flight level three three zero 19.07:32 CTR Three sixty two Indianapolis Center roger 19.07:35 P362 We'll take direct Holston Mountain if you can do that 19.07:41 Recorder goes off