# Incident 19990430015319I: Boeing 737201, Richmond, VA, April 30, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 30, 1999, 13:09 local time
- Place: Richmond, VA
- Airport: Richmond International - Byrd Field
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: USAA
- Location: 37.5538° N, 77.4603° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Richmond, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5538&lon=-77.4603&mi=10
- Aircraft: N242US, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N242US-2007-04-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 737-201 (registry code 1384454, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-201) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9 series (registry code 52048, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-9-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 737201
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990430015319I

## Narrative

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

ON 4/30/99, AT APPROXIMATELY 13:09 LOCAL TIME, US AIRWAYS FLIGHT #517 LFIGHT ATTENDANT AND FORWARD PASSENGERS NOTED "HOT" ELECTRICAL ODOR. F/O ENTERED CABIN TO INVESTIGATE -NOTED DIFFUSE SMOKE IN CABIN. CREW DONNED 02 MASKS, PRESSURIZATION TO STANDBY, THEN DEPRESSURIZED DESCENDING THROUH 10,000 MSL. AIRCRAFT LANDED AND TAXIED TO GATE WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. QRH PROCEDURES FOLLOWED THROUGHT EVENT. US AIRWAYS MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FOUND THE AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM GASPER FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. THE GASPER FAN WAS REMOVED FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION TO CONFIRM IT AS THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. THE VISUAL INSPECTION CONFIRMED THE GASPER FAN AS THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. THE GASPER FAN, SERIAL NUMBER AA26298 WSA REINSTALLED AND DEFERRED PER THE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST SECTION 21-24. THE GASPER FAN WAS INSTALLED ON 10/5/97, ACCUMULATION 3,884 HOURS SINCE INSTALLATION.

## Other reports on N242US (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19890120001289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890120001289A), Jan 20, 1989: Boeing 737201 (N242US), Chicago, IL, Substantial damage. Right engine separated from aircraft on climbout. Returned safely. Aft engine cone support bolts failed.

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.