20010210005219I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · EMB EMB-145LR · Columbus, OH · February 10, 2001

Date: February 10, 2001 · 07:29 local
Place: Columbus, OH
Airport: Port Columbus International
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: SIMA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N637AE
Reported as: EMB EMB145LR
Pilot’s flight hours: 17,720 total1,950 in this make and model89 in the last 90 days

N637AERegistered now · Embraer EMB-145LRS/N 145170 · Built 1999 Airframe modelEmbraer EMB-145LR Engine modelAllison AE3007C seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The a/c was climbing through 8,000 ft, when a number 2 bleed air leak indication appeared. The crew closed number 2 bleed valve. This was followed by a cabin depressurization, then a smoke indication in the cargo bay. The a/c declared an emergency and returned to (cmh), where the a/c landed without incident. The fire department removed three smoldering bags from the cargo compartment after the a/c came to the gate. Investigation showed a number 2 bleed air line clamp separation from the mating bleed air lines had occurred. It appears that once the clamp separated from the upper flange, vibration allowed the sleeve that seals the o-rings between the lines to slide down, thus allowing bleed air into the right-hand aft baggage compartment. The bleed air caused the three nylon bags to melt, which activated the smoke alarm. A/c maintenance records indicate that o-rings on the number 2 bleed air duct had been replaced two flights prior to this incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE A/C WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 8,000 FT, WHEN A NUMBER 2 BLEED AIR LEAK INDICATION APPEARED.THE CREW CLOSED NUMBER 2 BLEED VALVE. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A CABIN DEPRESSURIZATION, THEN A SMOKE INDICATION IN THE CARGO BAY. THE A/C DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO (CMH), WHERE THE A/C LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REMOVED THREE SMOLDERING BAGS FROM THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AFTER THE A/C CAME TO THE GATE. INVESTIGATION SHOWED A NUMBER 2 BLEED AIR LINE CLAMP SEPARATION FROM THE MATING BLEED AIR LINES HAD OCCURRED. IT APPEARS THAT ONCE THE CLAMP SEPARATED FROM THE UPPER FLANGE, VIBRATION ALLOWED THE SLEEVE THAT SEALS THE O-RINGS BETWEEN THE LINES TO SLIDE DOWN, THUS ALLOWING BLEED AIR INTO THE RIGHT-HAND AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE BLEED AIR CAUSED THE THREE NYLON BAGS TO MELT, WHICH ACTIVATED THE SMOKE ALARM. A/C MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATE THAT O-RINGS ON THE NUMBER 2 BLEED AIR DUCT HAD BEEN REPLACED TWO FLIGHTS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.