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20090220004129I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Skrsky S76C · Worcester, MA · February 20, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 20, 2009 · 17:46 local
Place
Worcester, MA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N101MM
Reported as
Skrsky S76C
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

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) During cruise flight from springfield, MA to bedford, MA the aircraft diverted to Worcester regional airport (orh) because of smoke in the cockpit and cabin. The cockpit, cabin and climate control system (C4 system) was on and working properly. Engine anti-ice was turned on for snow. Immediately the auto fail light came on for the C4 system was turned off. After about 30 to 45 seconds, with the temperature in the cabin decreasing, the bleed air switch was turned on and the cabin heat switch set to low. The cabin temperature stabilized for about 30 seconds and then shot up to indicate 75 degrees. Both pilot and co-pilot smelled and then saw smoke in the cockpit. The passenger reported smoke in cabin. All heating switches and engine anti-ice switches were turned off immediatelly. The smoke and smell then dissipated. The determination was made that cabin variable size orifice (vso) had allowed an excessive amount of heat through the duct work, overheating it. This higher than normal temperature caused the debris, grime and/or oil sediment to fume and enter the aircraft interior through the C4 system. The vso assembly was replaced and all components of the C4 system were cleaned.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING CRUISE FLIGHT FROM SPRINGFIELD, MA TO BEDFORD, MA THE AIRCRAFT DIVERTED TO WORCESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT (ORH) BECAUSE OF SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. THE COCKPIT, CABIN AND CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM (C4 SYSTEM) WAS ON AND WORKING PROPERLY. ENGINE ANTI-ICE WAS TURNED ON FOR SNOW. IMMEDIATELY THE AUTO FAIL LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE C4 SYSTEM WAS TURNED OFF. AFTER ABOUT 30 TO 45 SECONDS, WITH THE TEMPERATURE IN THE CABIN DECREASING, THE BLEED AIR SWITCH WAS TURNED ON AND THE CABIN HEAT SWITCH SET TO LOW. THE CABIN TEMPERATURE STABILIZED FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THEN SHOT UP TO INDICATE 75 DEGREES. BOTH PILOT AND CO-PILOT SMELLED AND THEN SAW SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE PASSENGER REPORTED SMOKE IN CABIN. ALL HEATING SWITCHES AND ENGINE ANTI-ICE SWITCHES WERE TURNED OFF IMMEDIATELLY. THE SMOKE AND SMELL THEN DISSIPATED. THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT CABIN VARIABLE SIZE ORIFICE (VSO) HAD ALLOWED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF HEAT THROUGH THE DUCT WORK, OVERHEATING IT. THIS HIGHER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURE CAUSED THE DEBRIS, GRIME AND/OR OIL SEDIMENT TO FUME AND ENTER THE AIRCRAFT INTERIOR THROUGH THE C4 SYSTEM. THE VSO ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AND ALL COMPONENTS OF THE C4 SYSTEM WERE CLEANED.