two immediate demands: attacking the fire and getting the  airplane safely on the ground as quickly as possible. A fire  or smoke in the cabin should be controlled by identifying  and shutting down the faulty system. In many cases, smoke  may be removed from the cabin by opening the cabin air  vents. This should be done only after the fire extinguisher  (if available) is used. Then the cabin air control can be  opened to purge the cabin of both smoke and fumes. If  smoke increases in intensity when the cabin air vents are  opened, they should be immediately closed. This indicates  a possible fire in the heating system, nose compartment  baggage area (if so equipped), or that the increase in airflow  is feeding the fire. Approaching the runway in a relatively nose-high attitude  can also cause the perception that the airplane is close to a  stall. This may cause the pilot to lower the nose abruptly and  risk touching down on the nosewheel. With the flaps retracted and the power reduced for landing,  the airplane is slightly less stable in the pitch and roll axes.  Without flaps, the airplane tends to float considerably during  roundout. The pilot should avoid the temptation to force  the airplane onto the runway at an excessively, high speed.  Neither should the pilot flare excessively because without  flaps, this might cause the tail to strike the runway. An asymmetric “split” flap situation is one in which one  flap deploys or retracts while the other remains in position.  The problem is indicated by a pronounced roll toward the  wing with the least flap deflection when wing flaps are  extended/retracted. On pressurized airplanes, the pressurization air system  removes smoke from the cabin; however, if the smoke  is intense, it may be necessary to either depressurize at  altitude, if oxygen is available for all occupants, or execute  an emergency descent. In unpressurized single-engine and light twin-engine  airplanes, the pilot can attempt to expel the smoke from the  cabin by opening the foul weather windows. These windows  should be closed immediately if the fire becomes more  intense. If the smoke is severe, the passengers and crew  should use oxygen masks if available, and the pilot should  initiate an immediate descent. The pilot should also be aware  that on some airplanes, lowering the landing gear and/or wing  flaps can aggravate a cabin smoke problem. The roll encountered in a split flap situation is countered  with opposite aileron. The yaw caused by the additional drag  created by the extended flap requires substantial opposite  rudder resulting in a cross-control condition. Almost full  aileron may be required to maintain a wings-level attitude,  especially at the reduced airspeed necessary for approach  and landing. The pilot should not attempt to land with a  crosswind from the side of the deployed flap because the  additional roll control required to counteract the crosswind  may not be available. The approach to landing with a split flap condition should  be flown at a higher than normal airspeed. The pilot should  not risk an asymmetric stall and subsequent loss of control  by flaring excessively. Rather, the airplane should be flown  onto the runway so that the touchdown occurs at an airspeed  consistent with a safe margin above flaps-up stall speed. The inability to extend the wing flaps necessitates a no-flap  approach and landing. In light airplanes, a no-flap approach  and landing is not particularly difficult or dangerous.  However, there are certain factors that must be considered  in the execution of this maneuver. A no-flap landing requires  substantially more runway than normal. The increase in  required landing distance could be as much as 50 percent. When flying in the traffic pattern with the wing flaps  retracted, the airplane must be flown in a relatively nose-high  attitude to maintain altitude, as compared to flight with flaps  extended. Losing altitude can be more of a problem without  the benefit of the drag normally provided by flaps. A wider,  longer traffic pattern may be required in order to avoid the  necessity of diving to lose altitude and consequently building  up excessive airspeed. On final approach, a nose-high attitude can make it difficult  to see the runway. This situation, if not anticipated, can  result in serious errors in judgment of height and distance.  In many airplanes, the elevator is controlled by two cables:  a “down” cable and an “up” cable. Normally, a break or  disconnect in only one of these cables does not result in a  total loss of elevator control. In most airplanes, a failed cable  results in a partial loss of pitch control. In the failure of the  “up” elevator cable (the “down” elevator being intact and  functional), the control yoke moves aft easily but produces  no response. Forward yoke movement, however, beyond the  neutral position produces a nosedown attitude. Conversely, a  failure of the “down” elevator cable, forward movement of  the control yoke produces no effect. The pilot, however, has  partial control of pitch attitude with aft movement. Asymmetric (Split) Flap Flight Control Malfunction/Failure Total Flap Failure Loss of Elevator Control 17-9