31st of March 2014, smoke in cockpit, blog #697
- V2Aviation
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
An Embraer ERJ-190AR was scheduled to operate a passenger flight between Kingston (Jamaica) and Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA) on this day in aviation history, the 31st of March 2014. On board the Embraer a crew of four and 98 passengers. The captain would be the pilot flying (PF) for this flight, with the co-pilot operating as the pilot monitoring (PM)
With all passengers, baggage and cargo onboard the engines were started and at 18.43 lt. (local time) the flight departed Kingston. Soon after take-off, the flight was cleared to flight level 340 on a northerly heading. When approaching the Havana ATC boundary the cockpit crew noticed the smell of smoke. After a short discussion, it was decided to return to Kingston, Jamaica. At 18.53 the crew contacted ATC declaring an emergency. ATC subsequently instructed the crew to stop their climb at flight level 230 clearing them direct to waypoint KEYNO.
The captain handed over control of the aircraft to the co-pilot in order to give his attention to the overall management of the situation. Both pilots put on their oxygen masks and began the descent and preparations to return to Kingston, including completing the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) 'Cockpit /Cabin Smoke /Fumes' procedure as well as completing the normal procedures and checks. During this time ATC alerted the Airport Fire Brigade at Kingston. Two minutes after declaring an emergency the crew was cleared for an MANLEY approach to runway 12 at Kingston. The crew, after discussing their options, decided that they would bring the aircraft to a stop on the runway and initiate an evacuation of the aircraft after coming to a stop.
At 19.04 lt. the captain contacted ATC, stating they were on a 10-mile final for runway 12 and stated their intentions. ATC informed the crew that the emergency equipment was standing by and that they were cleared to land on runway 12.
Four minutes later an overweight landing was accomplished, with the aircraft coming to a stop approximately 5300 feet from the runway threshold at 19/09 lt. Immediately after coming to a stop, the evacuation was initiated. One passenger sustained serious injuries with all other occupants reporting minor or no injuries. An investigation was launched by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).
During the investigation it became clear to the investigation team that the Left Air Conditioning System had been giving issues for a long time already, starting shortly after delivery in 2007, see the table below for details
An extensive test program was completed on the aircraft systems, during some of the tests a lot of moist air was blown into the cockpit and cabin, there was no smoke. At one point a loud grinding noise emanated from the left ACM (Air Cycle Machine) and a faint burning smell was also observed, no smoke was seen while the heat exchanger failed an operational health check. Both components were replaced and sent to an overhaul facility for further analysis. It was found that the ACM had suffered a bearing failure showing wear/ erosion damage, metal-to-metal contact/ rub of rotating parts and overheating damage.
During the troubleshooting and rectification of this defect on the left pack, it was discovered that two sensors, the Pack Outlet Temperature Sensor and the Condenser Inlet Temperature Sensor, had their harnesses cross-connected. The operator informed the Investigator that there was no specific maintenance record of work being done on either sensor, so it was not possible to identify how and when the cross-connection occurred. The cross-connection of the Pack Outlet Temperature Sensor and the Condenser Inlet Temperature Sensor may have resulted in the Air Management System (AMS) controlling the condenser to run hotter than normal. This would explain the excessive moisture as the condenser functionality would be affected. The excessive moisture may have caused ice to form on the Air Cycle Machine (ACM) turbine causing vibrations due to imbalance and eventual premature failure of the ACM. The metal-to-metal contact of the rotating parts accompanied by the overheat condition may have given off a burning smell in the air leaving this ACM. This burning smell coupled with the heavy mist/ moisture was probably what caused the flight crew to conclude that there was smoke in the cockpit, with the possibility of there being a fire. The JCAA report, which served as the source for this blog can be accessed by clicking on the .pdf file below. This report also includes the inclusive list with findings and sevral safety actions taken.
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