By design, an indeterminate amount of time is required to assess the impact of each action. It can take a long time to complete the checklist, including troubleshooting actions. There is no regulatory direction or industry standard specifying how much time it should take to complete these checklists. An uncontrollable in-flight fire constitutes a very serious and complicated emergency. A fire may originate from a variety of possible sources, may start slowly, and after a certain development time, can spread very rapidly.
Response time is critical.
Aircraft crews must not only be knowledgeable about the aircraft and its systems, they must be trained and equipped to combat any fire quickly and effectively in all areas within the pressurized section of an aircraft, including those areas that may not be readily accessible. The Board is also concerned that aircraft crews are not trained or equipped to have ready access to spaces within the fuselage where fires have the potential to ignite and spread. The Board believes that the lack of comprehensive in-flight firefighting procedures, and coordinated aircraft crew training to use those procedures, constitutes a safety deficiency.