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The crew of an E120 experienced smoke in the cabin due to improperly operating the air conditioning system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 507423 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200104 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : atl.vortac |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : atl.tracon tracon : m87.tracon tower : tpa.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 507423 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger misconduct other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Air conditioning pack failed shortly after takeoff and created smoke in cockpit and cabin. The first officer and I had both missed the fact that the ram air inlet switch was selected open, which shuts off cooling to the packs and caused the pack failure and subsequent smoke. One of our 7 passenger demanded oxygen masks (we dropped the masks), demanded an evacuate/evacuation as we were clearing the runway (smoke had cleared after environmental control system was shut down in-flight and flight attendant concurred with continuing the 1/4 mi or so to the gate) and actually opened one of the emergency exits as we were shutting down at the gate. No one else seemed to be concerned. The ram air switch is rarely used, and I now realize that it has been a long time since I've actually looked at it. It is, however, my responsibility, and I will try to avoid such complacency in the future.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE CREW OF AN E120 EXPERIENCED SMOKE IN THE CABIN DUE TO IMPROPERLY OPERATING THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS.
Narrative: AIR CONDITIONING PACK FAILED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AND CREATED SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND CABIN. THE FO AND I HAD BOTH MISSED THE FACT THAT THE RAM AIR INLET SWITCH WAS SELECTED OPEN, WHICH SHUTS OFF COOLING TO THE PACKS AND CAUSED THE PACK FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT SMOKE. ONE OF OUR 7 PAX DEMANDED OXYGEN MASKS (WE DROPPED THE MASKS), DEMANDED AN EVAC AS WE WERE CLRING THE RWY (SMOKE HAD CLRED AFTER ENVIRONMENTAL CTL SYS WAS SHUT DOWN INFLT AND FLT ATTENDANT CONCURRED WITH CONTINUING THE 1/4 MI OR SO TO THE GATE) AND ACTUALLY OPENED ONE OF THE EMER EXITS AS WE WERE SHUTTING DOWN AT THE GATE. NO ONE ELSE SEEMED TO BE CONCERNED. THE RAM AIR SWITCH IS RARELY USED, AND I NOW REALIZE THAT IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT IT. IT IS, HOWEVER, MY RESPONSIBILITY, AND I WILL TRY TO AVOID SUCH COMPLACENCY IN THE FUTURE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.