What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On departure climb, the flight attendants smelled something burning. Then a passenger noticed a 'glow' in the right side air vent near his feet and reported that the cabin floor was warm. Halon was sprayed into the vent, and the glow disappeared. The pilot declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport. The airplane was stopped on the runway and based upon reports from emergency personnel, an emergency evacuation was performed. Thermal damage and sooting was found on the right side underside floor structure, a nearby fiberglass bin wall panel, and a potable water bottle. A 5-foot by 5-foot area of insulation, which consisted of fiberglass, covered on both sides with a metallized mylar, was burned. The right side, alternate static port heater lay under the insulation. The insulation on one of the wires leading to the heater was found to be deteriorated and melted where it was bent around the thermostat case. Evidence of metal transfer was found between the solid-core wire and the adjacent heater case. Soot was found on the insulation covering the wire and adjacent heater case. The heater was manufactured with the wire bend.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON DEPARTURE CLIMB, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THEN A PASSENGER NOTICED A 'GLOW' IN THE RIGHT SIDE AIR VENT NEAR HIS FEET AND REPORTED THAT THE CABIN FLOOR WAS WARM. HALON WAS SPRAYED INTO THE VENT, AND THE GLOW DISAPPEARED. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY AND BASED UPON REPORTS FROM EMERGENCY PERSONNEL, AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION WAS PERFORMED. THERMAL DAMAGE AND SOOTING WAS FOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNDERSIDE FLOOR STRUCTURE, A NEARBY FIBERGLASS BIN WALL PANEL, AND A POTABLE WATER BOTTLE. A 5-FOOT BY 5-FOOT AREA OF INSULATION, WHICH CONSISTED OF FIBERGLASS, COVERED ON BOTH SIDES WITH A METALLIZED MYLAR, WAS BURNED. THE RIGHT SIDE, ALTERNATE STATIC PORT HEATER LAY UNDER THE INSULATION. THE INSULATION ON ONE OF THE WIRES LEADING TO THE HEATER WAS FOUND TO BE DETERIORATED AND MELTED WHERE IT WAS BENT AROUND THE THERMOSTAT CASE. EVIDENCE OF METAL TRANSFER WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE SOLID-CORE WIRE AND THE ADJACENT HEATER CASE. SOOT WAS FOUND ON THE INSULATION COVERING THE WIRE AND ADJACENT HEATER CASE. THE HEATER WAS MANUFACTURED WITH THE WIRE BEND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.