What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On apri 29, 2006 a trans states airlines Emb-145LR, N811HK, d/b/a American connection flight 5546, enroute from austin, Texas (aus) to st. louis, Missouri (stl), diverted to Springfield, Missouri (sgf) due to smoke and flames in the cockpit. The aircraft was in level flight at FL370 when the crew smelled smoke, followed by an amber "pitot 3 inop" eicas message. When prominent smoke began to issue from the vents below the first officer's side window, the crew donned oxygen masks and initiated an emergency descent into the Springfield-branson regional airport. The captain flew the aircraft while the first officer fought the fire with the hand-held extinguisher. Believing that the pilot 3 system may have been the source of or associated with the fire, the captain selected the system off on the overhead panel switch. His action had no apparent effect on the fire. The emergency descnet was hampered by numerous thunderstorm cells in the area. The aircraft received radar vectors for an ILS to runway 14 and landed at approximately 1526 CDT with ARFF equipment standing by. An emergency evacuation of the 30 passengers and 3 crewmembers was accomplished on the runway via the airstair door. One passenger received a minor injury during the evacuation and the first officer suffered minor burns extinguishing the fire. Inspection of the aircraft revealed an overheated pitot static heating relay (relay K0057, Embraer part no. CS500-060-D4A) that ultimately ignited the windowsill drain hose, and created smoke and fire behind the right cockpit horizontal lining by the first officer's seat at zone 223. Damage included soot and thermal damage to the aluminum relay support frame; multiple relays and relay bases mounted on the frame; associated wire bundles; the insulated liner; and the windowsill and relay panel covers. Relay K0057 is located at the bottom ofthe support frame. It was severely charred, and there was smoke and thermal damage to the aforementioned components mounted above it.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRI 29, 2006 A TRANS STATES AIRLINES EMB-145LR, N811HK, D/B/A AMERICAN CONNECTION FLIGHT 5546, ENROUTE FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS (AUS) TO ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (STL), DIVERTED TO SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI (SGF) DUE TO SMOKE AND FLAMES IN THE COCKPIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT FL370 WHEN THE CREW SMELLED SMOKE, FOLLOWED BY AN AMBER "PITOT 3 INOP" EICAS MESSAGE. WHEN PROMINENT SMOKE BEGAN TO ISSUE FROM THE VENTS BELOW THE FIRST OFFICER'S SIDE WINDOW, THE CREW DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AND INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT INTO THE SPRINGFIELD-BRANSON REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE CAPTAIN FLEW THE AIRCRAFT WHILE THE FIRST OFFICER FOUGHT THE FIRE WITH THE HAND-HELD EXTINGUISHER. BELIEVING THAT THE PILOT 3 SYSTEM MAY HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF OR ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRE, THE CAPTAIN SELECTED THE SYSTEM OFF ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL SWITCH. HIS ACTION HAD NO APPARENT EFFECT ON THE FIRE. THE EMERGENCY DESCNET WAS HAMPERED BY NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORM CELLS IN THE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS FOR AN ILS TO RUNWAY 14 AND LANDED AT APPROXIMATELY 1526 CDT WITH ARFF EQUIPMENT STANDING BY. AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF THE 30 PASSENGERS AND 3 CREWMEMBERS WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE RUNWAY VIA THE AIRSTAIR DOOR. ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED A MINOR INJURY DURING THE EVACUATION AND THE FIRST OFFICER SUFFERED MINOR BURNS EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED AN OVERHEATED PITOT STATIC HEATING RELAY (RELAY K0057, EMBRAER PART NO. CS500-060-D4A) THAT ULTIMATELY IGNITED THE WINDOWSILL DRAIN HOSE, AND CREATED SMOKE AND FIRE BEHIND THE RIGHT COCKPIT HORIZONTAL LINING BY THE FIRST OFFICER'S SEAT AT ZONE 223. DAMAGE INCLUDED SOOT AND THERMAL DAMAGE TO THE ALUMINUM RELAY SUPPORT FRAME; MULTIPLE RELAYS AND RELAY BASES MOUNTED ON THE FRAME; ASSOCIATED WIRE BUNDLES; THE INSULATED LINER; AND THE WINDOWSILL AND RELAY PANEL COVERS. RELAY K0057 IS LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OFTHE SUPPORT FRAME. IT WAS SEVERELY CHARRED, AND THERE WAS SMOKE AND THERMAL DAMAGE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED COMPONENTS MOUNTED ABOVE IT.