How can a wheel-well fire be extinguished?

• A. The pilots can lower the landing gear to allow airflow to blow the fire out.
• B. The pilots shut off all electrical systems to starve the fire.
• C. The pilots apply additional fire suppressant from cockpit.
• D. The pilots vent the wheel-well to atmosphere.

Answer: (A)

When a wheel-well fire occurs, the priority is to remove heat and suppress the flames by increasing ventilation through the bay. Extending the landing gear opens the wheel well to the outside air, creating a strong airflow that cools the burning area and helps push flames and hot gases out through the gear doors. This airflow is often more effective at containing and extinguishing a wheel-well fire than other measures, especially in flight where access to the area is limited and there isn’t a practical handheld extinguisher inside the bay.

Shutting off electrical systems doesn’t reliably stop a wheel-well fire and can jeopardize essential aircraft systems. Attempting to apply extra suppressant from the cockpit isn’t feasible for reaching the wheel well and isn’t how these fires are typically controlled. Venting the wheel well to atmosphere by itself would let heat and flames escape but wouldn’t extinguish them and could spread danger.