Flight 4B-6534 | Registration: RA-64032
Date: 8 January 2022 | Location: Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (ZSHC), China
Flight Details
• Aircraft Type: Tupolev TU-204-100C (Freighter)
• Engines: 2 × Aviadvigatel PS-90A
• Operator: Aviastar-TU (Russia)
• Registration: RA-64032
• Flight Number: 4B-6534
• Callsign: TUP6534
• Route: Hangzhou, China to Novosibirsk, Russia
• Date of Accident: 8 January 2022
• Total Occupants: 8 crew
• Cargo: Approximately 20 tonnes of general freight
• Fuel Load: 26 tonnes
• Weather Conditions: Clear, VMC
Introduction
On 8 January 2022, an Aviastar-TU Tupolev TU-204 freighter suffered a catastrophic cockpit fire during pushback at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, resulting in total loss of the aircraft. The fire originated inside the right-hand cockpit console, rapidly spreading through the flight deck and eventually breaching the fuselage crown before emergency services arrived. All eight crew members evacuated without injury. However, the fire completely destroyed the forward fuselage and rendered the aircraft damaged beyond economic repair.
On 10 April 2025, the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) released its final report, attributing the fire to malfunction of the crew oxygen system within the right-hand console.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft, loaded with general cargo and fully fuelled for an international freight flight to Novosibirsk, was undergoing standard pushback procedures at Hangzhou when the fire began.
According to flight crew interviews:
• The co-pilot, seated on the right, activated the oxygen mask test lever shortly after engine start-up preparations commenced.
• Upon pressing the lever, the co-pilot heard air leakage from below the lever and witnessed a white flash emanating from the left side of the oxygen mask housing.
• Within seconds, flames erupted from the right-hand side cockpit console, rising approximately 50 cm and engulfing the portable cockpit fire extinguisher.
• The flight engineer, located near the right-side console, reported a brief crackle, then a flash, immediately followed by a sustained fire plume from beneath the audio control panel.
Within two minutes of the first signs of fire, the flames had breached the fuselage crown, as confirmed by CCTV footage and site photographs. Firefighters responded swiftly but were unable to prevent the complete loss of the aircraft.
Crew & Communication
The crew of eight, all Russian nationals, initiated immediate evacuation upon recognising the rapid spread of the fire. Evacuation occurred through the main forward access door, with all personnel accounted for and uninjured.
The flight deck intercom became inoperative shortly after the fire began, complicating communication between the captain, co-pilot, and flight engineer. However, standard emergency egress procedures were executed efficiently, aided by proximity to the terminal and ground crew presence.
Emergency services were alerted by the ground handling team and responded within two minutes, but by then the fire had penetrated the cockpit ceiling and the forward fuselage was structurally compromised.
Aircraft Systems & Technical Analysis
The investigation determined the origin of the fire to be within the right-hand cockpit console, specifically in the confined space:
• Behind the audio control panel
• In front of the oxygen shut-off and pressure reduction valve
• Above the regulator control units
The crew oxygen system on the TU-204 is a high-pressure system with the following components:
• Shut-off and reducing valves
• Pressure regulators and control units
• Oxygen masks with test levers
• Distribution lines routed through the cockpit sidewalls
Evidence of oxygen leakage was supported by crew testimony and CCTV light flash analysis. The confined space inside the console allowed oxygen to accumulate, creating a transient oxygen-rich environment. In such conditions, even modest heat—generated by nearby avionics—can cause spontaneous ignition of materials normally considered flame-resistant.
Key findings include:
• Severe thermal damage to the EFIS control panel and audio control panels
• Burn patterns concentrated below the right-hand cockpit window, consistent with flame plume origin
• Burnt thermal insulation in the console area
• Destruction of regulator units and AOA sensor housing in the nearby fuselage
• Damage gradient showed flames moved upward and forward, consistent with buoyant heat rise and cockpit air flow
No other aircraft systems were directly implicated, ruling out electrical short circuits as the fire initiator.
Passenger/Crew Cabin Conditions
As a freighter operation, no passengers were onboard. The crew area was compromised by dense smoke and flame within seconds, making early detection and evacuation critical.
Smoke ingress into the avionics bay and forward cargo hold was confirmed, but fire damage was largely confined to the cockpit and overhead fuselage crown.
Had the aircraft been in motion, airborne, or had the fire occurred mid-flight, the outcome could have been catastrophic, as rapid fire development would likely have overwhelmed crew response capabilities.
Emergency Response & Aftermath
Hangzhou Airport emergency response vehicles reached the aircraft within two minutes of the fire alarm. However, the fire had already broken through the upper fuselage, and internal temperatures were beyond suppression capability by external agents alone.
Firefighting teams extinguished remaining flames within approximately 15 minutes, but the structural integrity of the cockpit and upper forward fuselage had already been lost.
Post-incident recovery included:
• Securing the airframe and removing residual fuel
• Isolating hazardous materials
• Transporting the remains for forensic analysis and insurance investigation
The aircraft, RA-64032, was declared written off and subsequently dismantled.
Investigation Status
The MAK-led investigation incorporated:
• Crew interviews
• Cockpit and systems component teardown
• Metallurgical and chemical analysis
• CCTV footage reconstruction
• Flight data recovery (though minimal flight data was available due to ground-based nature of incident)
The final report concluded with high confidence that malfunction of oxygen system components caused the leak and ignition sequence.
No broader fleet-wide defect or systemic design flaw was found, but the location and configuration of the oxygen components were considered a latent risk factor in TU-204 design.
Root Cause & Contributing Factors
Probable Root Cause:
Failure of crew oxygen system components within the right-hand cockpit console caused an oxygen leak, leading to the formation of an oxygen-rich microenvironment that was ignited by surrounding avionics heat sources.
Contributing Factors:
• Lack of flame-retardant barriers between oxygen plumbing and avionics
• Confined spatial layout amplifying heat exposure and oxygen concentration
• Delayed detection due to concealed flame development
• Rapid fire propagation accelerated by pure oxygen and insulation materials
Safety Recommendations & Industry Impact
The accident has prompted several critical recommendations:
• Redesign or relocation of high-pressure oxygen system components away from avionics-heavy areas
• Installation of early fire detection sensors in console enclosures
• Insulation upgrades with improved flame resistance in confined cockpit spaces
• Review of crew oxygen test procedures, especially during ground ops when air flow and cooling are reduced
• Enhanced training for cockpit fire scenarios during taxi, pushback, and pre-start phases
Operators of TU-204 and other Russian aircraft with similar oxygen system layouts have been urged to carry out proactive inspections and modifications where feasible.
Conclusion
The fire aboard Aviastar flight 4B-6534 represents a rare but high-consequence systems failure involving crew oxygen components. Although the aircraft was on the ground and all crew escaped safely, the complete destruction of the forward fuselage highlights the extreme fire risk posed by oxygen system leaks in confined electronic environments.
The findings reinforce the need for rigorous system isolation, thermal shielding, and rapid-response detection in modern cockpit design.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available information and reports at the time of writing. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we cannot guarantee the completeness of the information provided.
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