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Fire and smoke

Fire and smoke incidents on aircraft, explained from official investigation reports: how they started, how crews responded and what changed afterwards.

Wingfoot Air Express: Airship Fire over Chicago, 1919

November 8, 2026

On 21 July 1919 a Goodyear airship caught fire above the Chicago Loop and fell through the skylight of a bank. It was the first aircraft accident to kill a significant number of people on the ground.