Engine Fire and Evacuation After Runway Excursion
At 18:10, a CRJ-900 on approach to Runway 14 strikes a runway approach light and overruns the departure end, coming to rest 300 ft beyond the runway in soft grass. The nose gear collapses; the right engine is on fire and the right wing is separated at the wing root. There are 76 passengers and 4 crew. Wind is 20 kt from the right, gusting to 30 kt. A fuel leak from the right wing is producing a visible vapor cloud and a thin liquid pool moving toward the fuselage. Passengers are evacuating from the left forward door and left overwing exits; about 15 people are standing near the right wing, downwind of the fire. ARFF Truck 1 and Truck 2 arrive from the south. Truck 1 has a 1,500 gpm bumper turret and 200 gal foam; Truck 2 has a 1,000 gpm turret and 300 gal foam. The incident commander is the senior ARFF officer. What is your plan?
1. Describe your initial positioning, rescue path, and apparatus placement.
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Position Truck 1 on the left side of the aircraft, uphill and outside the fuel pool, to put a fog stream between the evacuating passengers and the fire/vapor. Do not drive through the visible vapor cloud or over the liquid pool; approach from the left rear or left forward, whichever gives a clear path. Truck 2 should approach from the right/upwind side if access is safe, to attack the engine fire and cool the wing root. Establish a rescue path on the left side, forward of the wing, and move evacuees forward and then upwind around the vapor zone; do not send them left/downwind. Keep the apparatus at least 100 ft from the fire and use the turret only from a protected position. Assign a rescue group to move the 15 people near the right wing; they are in the most dangerous location. Keep the runway closed and request EMS and additional ARFF.
2. How do you balance fire attack against rescue when 15 people are near the burning wing?
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Life safety comes first. The 15 people near the right wing, downwind of the fire, are the priority; use a fog stream to shield them and direct them away from the vapor cloud. Do not commit a firefighter into the pool or under the wing. The right wing is separated and the engine fire is attached; a direct attack on the engine is secondary to moving survivors. Use Truck 1's turret or handline in a fog pattern to protect the evacuation and push the vapor away from the fuselage; use Truck 2 to knock down the engine fire and cool the wing root if it can do so without blocking the rescue path. If the fire threatens the fuselage before the passengers are clear, keep the fog shield in place and let the engine burn rather than abandon the rescue. Establish a casualty collection point upwind and triage.
3. How should wind and foam application shape your fire attack on the fuel pool and engine?
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With wind from the right at 20 kt, the vapor and heat are moving toward the left side and fuselage. Apply foam to the fuel pool from the upwind/right side if accessible, or from the left with a fog pattern to push vapor away. Use a foam blanket on the pool, not a straight stream; start at the far edge and work toward the fire. Keep the fog stream between the passengers and the vapor cloud. Do not apply foam into the vapor cloud from downwind; it can mix the cloud. If the wind shifts or gusts to 30 kt, reposition to stay upwind and keep the foam blanket between the fuel and the fuselage. Continue cooling the wing root and monitor for reflash. The rescue path must remain clear; if the vapor ignites, withdraw the rescue group and use the fog shield to cover the retreat.