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.

Diversion details

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.

flight path
Photo: FlightRadar24.com

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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Electrical fire in oven to blame

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.

KLM 777 Oven fire
Photo: Dutch Safety Board

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

  • KLM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner PH-BHP (2)
    KLM
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    KL/KLM
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
    Year Founded:
    1919
    Alliance:
    SkyTeam
    Airline Group:
    Air France-KLM
    CEO:
    Marjan Rintel
    Country:
    Netherlands