# Incident 19961211045959I: Boeing 757225, Terra Haute, IN, December 11, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 11, 1996, 13:38 local time
- Place: Terra Haute, IN
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: USAA
- Location: 39.4701° N, 87.3799° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4701&lon=-87.3799&mi=10
- Aircraft: N603AU (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 757225
- Reported engine: RROYCE RB211535*
- People aboard: 184
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 21,416 total, 419 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97IA041](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97IA041) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961211045959I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4) BEFORE DEPARTING ON A SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL ODOR IN THE AIRPLANE'S REAR SECTION. SHE ADVISED THE FIRST OFFICER, WHO CONSULTED A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING WRONG, AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED A SHORT TIME LATER. WHILE EN ROUTE, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTED AN ELECTRICAL ODOR IN THE SAME AREA. AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CAPTAIN, THE ODOR DIMINISHED, AND THE REAR CABIN TEMPERATURE WAS LOWERED. SHORTLY AFTER THIS ACTION, SMOKE AND FIRE WERE VISIBLE IN THE FLOOR AND SIDE WALL AREA. THE CAPTAIN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT. DURING APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT, THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, THEN AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE. EXAMINATION OF THE BURNED AREA REVEALED AN AUDIO-ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM CABLE HAD BECOME SHORTED. BURNING HAD RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CABLE HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED, AND THAT THE STC DID NOT PROVIDE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR CABLE ROUTING, EXCEPT THAT IT SHOULD BE PLACED UNDER A SEAT RAIL COVER. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #CHI97IA041.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97IA041](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97IA041), Dec 11, 1996: Boeing 757-225 (N603AU), Terre Haute, IN, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: inadequate installation of electrical wiring for an audio entertainment system associated with Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA5537NM, and a subsequent short in the wiring. Factors relating to…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.