Accidental fire foam discharge claimed another victim when a fire-suppression system was inadvertently activated on October 28 in a city-owned hangar at Dallas-area McKinney National Airport.
Video of the incident—from a privately owned security camera feed in the hangar, according to a McKinney spokesperson—was posted on X (formerly Twitter). It shows a large hangar—containing what appears to be a Bombardier Challenger 300, Cessna Citation X, IAI Westwind 2, Diamond DA42 piston twin, and an unidentifiable piston single—rapidly filling with foam. The airport could not provide confirmation of the aircraft involved.
In a statement released to AIN, the city of McKinney acknowledged that “on Oct. 28, the fire-suppression system in a hangar at the McKinney National Airport was activated. An ongoing investigation is underway to determine the nature and extent of the foam release, as well as the cause of the activation. No injuries have been reported. Several of the affected aircraft are back in service. The restoration of the hangar is underway.”
Accidental foam discharges have been a serious problem for hangar keepers, causing millions of dollars in aircraft damage, foam clean-up, and subsequent system maintenance. In 2021, the NFPA, the governing body that establishes fire safety policy guidance, voted to remove the hangar foam recommendation for Group II hangars (including most used for business aviation), leaving the final determination in the hands of local fire marshals.