Investigation Reveals Oven Fire Led To KLM Boeing 777 Diversion

Aug 02, 2023

Near the start of 2023, a KLM Boeing 777-200ER was forced to return to Amsterdam after an electrical fire arose in he cabin.

Although the incident is now close to four months old, more details have emerged from a KLM diversion incident that took place on February 9th, 2023. The Boeing 777-200ER was about 90 minutes into its flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg when a fire broke out in the cabin. The Dutch Safety Board has opened an investgation, which is still listed as ongoing.

Taking place on Thursday, February 9th, KLM flight KL591 took off from Amsterdam at 11:00 local time for a lengthy service to Johannesburg, South Africa. According to The Aviation Herald, the Boeing 777-200ER, registered PH-BQO, was cruising at FL330 about 80nm east of Menorca (Spain) when the incident occurred. Passengers reported strange smells and fumes coming from the rear of the cabin.

The crew then made the decision to descend to FL280 and return to Amsterdam. Along the way fuel was dumped, and a safe landing was completed on Amsterdam's runway 18R. The entire 'flight to nowhere' had a duration of nearly three-and-a-half hours.

Examining FlightRadar24.com data, it appears that the incident resulted in PH-BQO spending nearly seven full days on the ground. The aircraft's first post-incident service was flight KL597 to Cape Town, South Africa.

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On the same day as the incident, the Dutch Safety Board (Onderzoeksraad) put out a tweet notifying the public that It was at Amsterdam Schiphol airport conducting an investigation. Translated from Dutch, the post adds that it concerned "an aircraft that returned to Schiphol with cabin problems."

Dutch website Noordhollands Dagblad was quick to report on the incident, posting on the same day that a fire had broken out in the kitchen of the aircraft.

Translated from Dutch, the same article states that KLM reported all passengers and cabin crew "will be taken care of and receive medical support if necessary." There were no reported injuries while passengers were rebooked to another flight.

According to The Aviation Herald, a passenger reported a strange smell as other passengers were visibly upset and shaken during the incident. The electrical fire had broken out in an oven located in the aircraft's aft galley, with toxic gasses filling this rear section. Passengers seated in the area were moved to the middle of the cabin as flight attendants donned protective masks and rushed with fire extinguishers to put out the fire.

It was also reported that the toxic smell lingered, even as passengers disembarked the aircraft at Amsterdam Schiphol, two hours after the incident. On June 1st, the Onderzoeksraad reported that the aft galley oven had overheated. Rated by the government agency as a serious incident, the Dutch Safety Board's website lists its status as "ongoing."

The incident is reminiscent of an Austrian Airlines incident in July 2022, which also involved a Boeing 777-200 and a malfunctioning oven.

What do you think of this incident? Have you ever been onboard a flight that encountered fire or overheating related to galley equipment? Share your experiences by leaving a comment!

Sources: FlightRadar24.com, The Aviation Herald, Noordhollands Daghblad

Deputy Editor - An experienced photographer and video producer, Chris is a journalistic natural. Degree educated with a wealth of traveling history, Chris’ insight into routes, networks, and alliances brings a depth of quality to his work that is hard to beat. His strong relationships with Middle Eastern and Canadian airlines make him an asset to the team. Currently based in Vilnius, Lithuania.