A Continental Boeing 777-200, registration N27015 performing flight CO-85 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Newark,NJ (USA), was on approach to Newark when the crew declared emergency reporting a cargo fire indication. On short final to runway 22L the crew reported the cargo fire indication had ceased following working the checklists. The aircraft landed safely on runway 22L. Two passengers needed medical attention after landing.

The airport was closed for about 15 minutes following the landing while emergency services checked the aircraft.

The airplane re-entered service on May 23rd.

Passenger Susan Wrye told The Aviation Herald, that she heard a "terrible boom sound" about 20 minutes prior to landing which caused everyone to scan the engines believing one of them had failed. A wind rush sound started developing as if someone had opened a window in mid air and increased to a very loud volume, the passengers began to cover their ears to protect them. Fluffy material began to float through the cabin emanating from the left hand side of the aft cabin, the material looking like flocks of insulation became thicker. A chemical substance, smelling like chlorofluorocarbon, was released. A number of people began coughing as the chemical burned while breathed in. Flight attendants moved 12 people out of their seats and covered the area (left hand seats A-C around seat row 43) with blankets trying to keep the fluffy material contained. Another loud boom occurred and blew the blankets completely away, the flight attendants covered the area again with the blankets. A flight attendants believed to see smoke coming from the area. One of the flight crew came back into the cabin, looked at the mess and returned to the cockpit. An announcement by the flight crew followed, that Susan and her fellow passengers could not understand due to the loud wind rush sound coming from the area, cabin crew made clear they were conducting an emergency landing. During the approach, as the aircraft slowed for landing, the wind rush sounds decreased in volume and ceased during the roll out. Susan still suffers from respiratory problems and is in medical care to prevent pneumonia as result from injuries received during exposure to the chemicals and material floating through the cabin.

Another passenger, who wants to remain unnamed, confirmed Susan's account but reported that the deafening sound did not cease during the landing roll out but only after system shut down. A number of passengers was moved out of the seats A-C rows 40-43 and seated in other seat rows, putting 4 people into 3 seats and securing two of them into one seat with seat belt extenders. The passenger was aware that a public announcement was being made by indications on the inflight entertainment system, but was not able to hear anything of the announcement due to the deafening sound from underneath seats A-C rows 40-43. The passenger, too, suffers from respiratory problems following the event and is in medical care.

The NTSB reported that the crew heard a pop in the rear of the aircraft and thought they had a fire in the cargo compartment. The event was treated as a fire upon landing but there was no evidence of a fire. It was determined that an air duct failed in the passenger cabin. The NTSB does not investigate.

Flocks of material in the cabin (Photos: Susan Wrye):

The area covered (Photo: Susan Wrye):