A REPORT into a fire on a passenger plane has highlighted concerns over the condition of wiring on some aircraft.

The report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) was into a fire on a Boeing 737 being prepared for a flight from Newcastle airport.

Crew had to leave the aircraft and the emergency services were called to the incident.

No passengers were on board the plane, scheduled to fly to Gatwick Airport, when the fire broke out at about 5am on July 30 last year.

The pilot had noticed an electrical burning smell and smoke on the flight deck which was blamed on a "short duration flash fire" below the cockpit floor. Some fire damage was found inside the fuselage on the right side of the aircraft, in the areas of the forward toilet service panel, beneath the cockpit floor and forward of the electrical and electronics compartment.

Later examination of power cables in the area showed that they were torn and their exposure was thought to be the cause of the blaze.

This damage was said to have possibly occurred earlier during the replacement of a forward toilet service panel.

The 15-year-old plane involved had suffered no previous electrical problems.

The AAIB report said: "This incident has highlighted airworthiness issues which reflect broader concerns on all aircraft types regarding wiring condition, particularly as aircraft age and modifications are introduced."

"The operator has since carried out visual inspections of the wiring in the area above the forward toilet service panel on a sample of six other 737 aircraft and no wire damage or interference was found."