Incident: Air France A343 over Atlantic on Mar 5th 2012, smoke caused by short circuit
An Air France Airbus A340-300, registration F-GLZJ performing flight AF-422 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Bogota (Colombia)
with 274 passengers and 14 crew, was enroute over the Atlantic when the crew received a smoke indication for the lower mobile deck,
crew rest area. The flight crew decided to divert to Lajes Airport on Terceira Island, Azores (Portugal) for a safe overweight landing.
The passengers disembarked via mobile stairs.
Examination revealed the smoke indication was caused by smoke emanating from a short circuit.
A replacement Airbus A340-300 registration F-GLZR has been dispatched to Lajes on Mar 6th and is currently estimated to depart
Terceira Island at 14:40L Mar 6th and reach Bogota with a delay of 26 hours.
The airline's press office said, the fire indication was false, there was no smoke, an investigation is underway to determine why the alarm
went off for no reason.
Passengers reported an unusual burning odour shortly after takeoff, that had been delayed by about 30 minutes due to some technical issue.
About 3 hours into the flight the odour intensified and smoke became visible in the cabin, seemingly emanating from a lavatory.
The aircraft dumped fuel while descending towards the Azores Islands.
Source Aviation Herald: http://www.avherald.com/h?article=44bf47fd&opt=0
'Crying and screaming' as Air France plane loses height
Source BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17273569
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