What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
American airlines flight 548, B737-800, was enroute from dca to dfw and diverted to iad after the crew received an indication of a fire in the aft cargo hold. The aircraft landed on runway 12 and was met by the ARFF. The crew was interviewed and reported that they were approximately 30 miles west of iad when they received the aural and visual indication that there was a fire in the aft cargo hold. They declared an emergency, followed their checklists and utilized the onboard fire suppression system. The cargo fire light extinguished within 30 seconds, however the light returned while the aircraft was on short final. After landing there was no emergency evacuation and the ARFF determined that there was no heat coming from the aft cargo compartment, and deplaning of passengers and crew was accomplished via people movers. Subsequent offloading and searching of aft cargo bags determined that a flashlight had been inadvertently switched on inside a passengers bag. The findings from the FAA security and hazardous materials office and the NTSB indicate that the cause of the fire and smoke was due to a sportsman's warehouse brand (item # 1139424) 12 volt high intensity xenon flashlight that was on inside a passengers packed bag. The halogen light bulb heated up enough to ignite a map that was stowed in the same pocket as the flashlight and burn a hole in the bag causing the aft cargo hold smoke detector light to illuminate. The aala cmo was noified of this incident on 11/12/2010 and a service difficulty report (SDR) was sumitted on 11/15/2010. FAA security and hazardous materials field office has completed their report and submitted it to Washington headquarers for review and corrective action. There were no operational or airworthiness issues involved in this incident. See NTSB report no. DCA11SA005.this report is closed.
As the FAA filed it
AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 548, B737-800, WAS ENROUTE FROM DCA TO DFW AND DIVERTED TO IAD AFTER THE CREW RECEIVED AN INDICATION OF A FIRE IN THE AFT CARGO HOLD. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 12 AND WAS MET BY THE ARFF. THE CREW WAS INTERVIEWED AND REPORTED THAT THEY WERE APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES WEST OF IAD WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE AURAL AND VISUAL INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE AFT CARGO HOLD. THEY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, FOLLOWED THEIR CHECKLISTS AND UTILIZED THE ONBOARD FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM. THE CARGO FIRE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED WITHIN 30 SECONDS, HOWEVER THE LIGHT RETURNED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON SHORT FINAL. AFTER LANDING THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND THE ARFF DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO HEAT COMING FROM THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT, AND DEPLANING OF PASSENGERS AND CREW WAS ACCOMPLISHED VIA PEOPLE MOVERS. SUBSEQUENT OFFLOADING AND SEARCHING OF AFT CARGO BAGS DETERMINED THAT A FLASHLIGHT HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED ON INSIDE A PASSENGERS BAG. THE FINDINGS FROM THE FAA SECURITY AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OFFICE AND THE NTSB INDICATE THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND SMOKE WAS DUE TO A SPORTSMAN'S WAREHOUSE BRAND (ITEM # 1139424) 12 VOLT HIGH INTENSITY XENON FLASHLIGHT THAT WAS ON INSIDE A PASSENGERS PACKED BAG. THE HALOGEN LIGHT BULB HEATED UP ENOUGH TO IGNITE A MAP THAT WAS STOWED IN THE SAME POCKET AS THE FLASHLIGHT AND BURN A HOLE IN THE BAG CAUSING THE AFT CARGO HOLD SMOKE DETECTOR LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE AALA CMO WAS NOIFIED OF THIS INCIDENT ON 11/12/2010 AND A SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORT (SDR) WAS SUMITTED ON 11/15/2010. FAA SECURITY AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FIELD OFFICE HAS COMPLETED THEIR REPORT AND SUBMITTED IT TO WASHINGTON HEADQUARERS FOR REVIEW AND CORRECTIVE ACTION. THERE WERE NO OPERATIONAL OR AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT. SEE NTSB REPORT NO. DCA11SA005.THIS REPORT IS CLOSED.