The cause of the AIR BUSAN aircraft fire at Gimhae International Airport is drawing attention to an unidentified object in the overhead compartment. Crew members and passengers who were on board the incident aircraft have repeatedly testified that "the fire started in the overhead compartment."

On Oct. 28, a fire occurs on an AIR BUSAN flight to Hong Kong at Gimhae International Airport in Gangseo-gu, Busan, and the fire department is working on extinguishing it. /Courtesy of News1

According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 29th, the crew member aboard the aircraft saw smoke and flames coming from inside the closed overhead compartment while in the rear kitchen of the aircraft and notified the control tower that "a fire has occurred on the parked aircraft."

Passengers also testified that the fire started from the overhead compartment. One passenger on the incident aircraft told Yonhap News Agency, "After a 'tapping' sound came from the overhead compartment for carry-on luggage, smoke began to appear."

The passenger also speculated, "The crew member came in with a fire extinguisher after saying 'stay seated,' but by that time, the smoke was thick and embers had fallen from the overhead compartment; (the object that caused the fire) might be a power bank or an electronic device."

A couple in their 30s sitting near the smoke-filled overhead compartment said, "When the smoke appeared, the crew member asked, 'Did you put something in there?', and then suddenly, the smoke spread rapidly."

Initially, there were speculations that the fire might have started from the aircraft's auxiliary power unit (APU) due to the fire starting at the rear of the aircraft, but attention is now focused on the passenger's luggage being the cause of the incident.

The Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters is discussing the schedule for a joint inspection to determine the cause of the aircraft fire with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Aircraft and Railroad Accident Investigation Committee.