What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) 1738 EST, trans states airlines, d/b/a. us airways express flight 5403, returned to the Richmond international airport and landed on runway 16 after reporting smoke in the cabin shortly after takeoff. Aircraft rescue and fire fighting responded. The captain initiated an emergency evacuation on taxiway charlie due to the smoke in the cabin and a potential fire. The flight attendant directed the passengers through the main entry door for accountability and control. There was no visible fire, and no defects reported with the ther emergency exits within the aircraft. The estimated evacuation time was approximately one minute. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew during the evacuation. Once it was determined that no fire existed, the crew repositioned the aircraft to the airline terminal ramp. Maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft and determined that the left air cycle machine turbine overheated and failed. They also found a short between two wires at connector 1HA3P leading to the left air conditioning system overtemperature switch. This prevented a system overtemp from being sensed, and an automatic shutdown of the left air conditioning system. The left air cycly machine, the left system overtemperature switch connector, and the left heat exchanger have been replaced.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) 1738 EST, TRANS STATES AIRLINES, D/B/A. US AIRWAYS EXPRESS FLIGHT 5403, RETURNED TO THE RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 16 AFTER REPORTING SMOKE IN THE CABIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIRE FIGHTING RESPONDED. THE CAPTAIN INITIATED AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION ON TAXIWAY CHARLIE DUE TO THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND A POTENTIAL FIRE. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT DIRECTED THE PASSENGERS THROUGH THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE FIRE, AND NO DEFECTS REPORTED WITH THE THER EMERGENCY EXITS WITHIN THE AIRCRAFT. THE ESTIMATED EVACUATION TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PASSENGERS OR CREW DURING THE EVACUATION. ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NO FIRE EXISTED, THE CREW REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE AIRLINE TERMINAL RAMP. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT AIR CYCLE MACHINE TURBINE OVERHEATED AND FAILED. THEY ALSO FOUND A SHORT BETWEEN TWO WIRES AT CONNECTOR 1HA3P LEADING TO THE LEFT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OVERTEMPERATURE SWITCH. THIS PREVENTED A SYSTEM OVERTEMP FROM BEING SENSED, AND AN AUTOMATIC SHUTDOWN OF THE LEFT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE LEFT AIR CYCLY MACHINE, THE LEFT SYSTEM OVERTEMPERATURE SWITCH CONNECTOR, AND THE LEFT HEAT EXCHANGER HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
Other reports on N554HK · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.