The conditions on board the ship were reconstructed in the 1:1 test mock up in NBLs laboratory, with exactly the same materials and dimensions as in the real ship. The ventilation conditions were also reconstructed.
The experiments showed that the combination of the narrow corridor and the reaction to fire properties of the laminate onto the asbestos board set the corridor very rapidly in a flash-over situation. It was mainly the surface laminate lining (1.6 mm) with its melamine finishing that gave the energy to the fire and the production of the lethal gases. The fact that the substrate of asbestos had low heat conductivity also contributed to the flash over conditions.
The experiments also showed that huge amounts of hydrogen-cyanide (HCN) was produced when the surface lining material combusted. The concentration in the breeding gas would cause death of people within 5 minutes.