Air transportation safety investigation A13Q0186

Belt loader fire leading to cabin smoke and evacuation of passengers

Boeing 767-36N/ER, CN-RNT
operated by Royal Air Maroc
at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Quebec
04 November 2013

View final report

The occurrence

On 04 November 2013, Boeing 767-36N/ER (serial number 30843/867, registration CN-RNT), operated by Royal Air Maroc as Flight RAM206, left the Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco, for Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Quebec, carrying 243 passengers and 8 crew members.

The flight was uneventful and, at 1634 Eastern Standard Time, the aircraft landed on Runway 06 left. The aircraft taxied towards gate 61, where it came to a stop at 1641. At 1645:20, a fire broke out under a belt loader that an employee on the ground was positioning under the left aft cargo door. The smell of the smoke from the fire penetrated the cabin, prompting the captain to order the evacuation of the aircraft. Some passengers evacuated the aircraft through the boarding bridge while others used the evacuation slides. The airport firefighting service arrived on site at 1649:50 and brought the fire under control. The aircraft sustained no damage.

Media materials

News release

Deployment notice

Investigation information

Map showing the location of the occurrence

Investigator-in-Charge

Mr. Ledoux has 40 years of civil aviation experience. He joined the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) in April 1999 as an investigator in the Air Investigations Branch, in Dorval, Quebec, and has been the regional manager for the Quebec region since 2003. He has been the investigator-in-charge on several aviation investigations.

Mr. Ledoux worked as an airline pilot for different Canadian carriers, accumulating more than 15 000 flight hours in a wide variety of operations around the world. He flew different aircraft types, from small training aircraft to larger commuter aircraft, eventually piloting large jet aircraft such as, DC8, L1011, B747, and Airbus 310. He also holds a helicopter pilot license. Before joining the TSB, Mr. Ledoux worked at Transport Canada as inspector in the enforcement department.

Since joining the TSB, Mr. Ledoux has participated in several TSB investigations, and has also assisted numerous foreign investigation agencies in their investigations of accidents abroad. He is also a team member of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program (USOAP) with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Class of investigation

This is a class 3 investigation. These investigations analyze a small number of safety issues, and may result in recommendations. Class 3 investigations are generally completed within 450 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.

TSB investigation process

There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation

1. Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
2. Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
3. Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.

For more information, see our Investigation process page.

The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.