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After the Valujet crash, the Clinton administration, the FAA, and the chiefs of the country's largest airlines promised that the installation of fire detectors in many aircraft was a top priority for the industry. Six months later, not one new extinguisher or detector was installed. The problem this poses is particular to smaller planes more than larger but the danger is real. The Halon fire fighting agent present in most planes cannot work correctly in the cargo holds of smaller planes. If there are no detectors or extinguishers, then a fire caused by standard hair products could quickly consume a plane with no warning to the crew until it is too late.

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