One of the most celebrated tales from the “annals” of Bali Aviation sometimes falls victim to malapropism in the retelling as the “anals (sic)” of a Singapore Airlines near-emergency that occurred over Bali in 2015
Perhaps it’s time to “clear the air” and retell the true story of an incident that took place on 27 October 2015, when a Singapore Airlines (SIA) 747 cargo aircraft (9V-SFI), operating as SQ 7108, was forced to make an emergency landing at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.
As recounted by Kompas.com and the respected publication The Aviation Herald, the SIA Boeing 747-400 cargo jet carrying 2,186 live sheep from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur was flying at 32,000 feet over Indonesian airspace 400 nautical miles south of Bali when the alarms in the plane’s cockpit sounded, warning of smoke and a possible fire in the B747’s cargo hold.
A potential fire on board warranted the urgent attention of the plane’s four crew members, who were determined to safely deliver the 2,2186 four-legged sheep “safely grazing” on the cargo deck to their appointed destination.
Following established safety procedures, the flight crew quickly descended to 25,000 feet, where they assessed their predicament and decided to divert to the nearest airport at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport capable of accommodating an emergency landing of a fully-loaded Boeing-747 aircraft.
Some 45 minutes later, SIA 7108 landed safely in Bali, with the local fire brigade on emergency standby to deal with a suspected fire in the plane’s cargo hold.
Fortunately, emergency teams found no fire on board the aircraft, and the large flock of Australian sheep was safe and sound.
The cause of the “false alarm”? Apparently, a buildup of sheep manure, animal flatulence, and the resulting methane and natural heat triggered automated fire alarms.
SIA management was quick to explain that safety alarms triggered by natural gases on flights carrying livestock may be rare but are not unusual.
2.5 hours after making an emergency landing in Bali and allowing natural ventilation of the aircraft to alleviate gas and heat build-up, SQ 7108 continued on its way, successfully shepherding its flock of 2,2186 sheep to Kuala Lumpur.
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