What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N14CG departed bdl on runway 33 at 17:08 EST on 11/18/03 for a planned trip to white plains, NY for the purpose of conducting a part 135.299 flight check. Aircraft climbed to an altitude between 500 to 600 feet when smoke was reported in the cabin area at the galley. Power to the galley was shut off and smoke seemed to diminish. Fire extinguishers were removed from the forward left closet. More smoke emanated from galley followed by bright white burning particles being expelled from the coat closet. The particles from the coat closet were followed by flames and the fire bottle was used with a series of short burst to attempt extinguishing the fire. The fire diminished while the extinguisher was in use but returned when the bottle emptied. ATC was advised, and an emergency declared, the aircraft returned to bdl runway 33 landing at 17:12 EST. Engines and electrical power were shut down and the aircraft evacuated, two pilots and one check airman evacuated through the main door, and two passenger evacuated through the right side emergency exit. All persons were accounted for and fire personnel directed to fire location. The O2 bottle was turned off by fire personnel and fir extinguished.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N14CG DEPARTED BDL ON RUNWAY 33 AT 17:08 EST ON 11/18/03 FOR A PLANNED TRIP TO WHITE PLAINS, NY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING A PART 135.299 FLIGHT CHECK. AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE BETWEEN 500 TO 600 FEET WHEN SMOKE WAS REPORTED IN THE CABIN AREA AT THE GALLEY. POWER TO THE GALLEY WAS SHUT OFF AND SMOKE SEEMED TO DIMINISH. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS WERE REMOVED FROM THE FORWARD LEFT CLOSET. MORE SMOKE EMANATED FROM GALLEY FOLLOWED BY BRIGHT WHITE BURNING PARTICLES BEING EXPELLED FROM THE COAT CLOSET. THE PARTICLES FROM THE COAT CLOSET WERE FOLLOWED BY FLAMES AND THE FIRE BOTTLE WAS USED WITH A SERIES OF SHORT BURST TO ATTEMPT EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. THE FIRE DIMINISHED WHILE THE EXTINGUISHER WAS IN USE BUT RETURNED WHEN THE BOTTLE EMPTIED. ATC WAS ADVISED, AND AN EMERGENCY DECLARED, THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO BDL RUNWAY 33 LANDING AT 17:12 EST. ENGINES AND ELECTRICAL POWER WERE SHUT DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT EVACUATED, TWO PILOTS AND ONE CHECK AIRMAN EVACUATED THROUGH THE MAIN DOOR, AND TWO PASSENGER EVACUATED THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE EMERGENCY EXIT. ALL PERSONS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AND FIRE PERSONNEL DIRECTED TO FIRE LOCATION. THE O2 BOTTLE WAS TURNED OFF BY FIRE PERSONNEL AND FIR EXTINGUISHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.