Air Canada Flight 797 was a scheduled trans-border flight that flew on a Dallas/Fort Worth-Toronto-Montreal route. On 2 June 1983, the aircraft developed an in-flight fire behind the washroom that spread between the outer skin and the inner decor panels, filling the plane with toxic smoke. The spreading fire also burned through crucial electrical cables that knocked out most of the instrumentation in the cockpit, forcing the plane to divert to an alternative landing field. Ninety seconds after the plane landed and the doors were opened, the heat of the fire and fresh oxygen from the open exit doors created flashover conditions, and the plane's interior quickly became engulfed in flames, killing 23 passengers who were yet to evacuate the aircraft.
As a result of this accident, many regulations were implemented around the world to make airplanes safer, including the installation of smoke detectors, emergency lighting leading to exit doors and increased fire fighting training and equipment for crew members.
Read more about Air Canada Flight 797: Details, NTSB Investigation, Notable Passengers, Aftermath, Dramatization
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