What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Mesa flight 3759 departed Washington dulles (kiad) for logan international airport (kbos) on January 29, 2014. During the flight while climbing to FL310, the left bleed warning message was displayed (triple chime). Pilot stated he leveled the aircraft at FL280 and notified ATC of this condition. Using the qrh check list, which requires descent to 10,000 feet, they requested a lower altitude from ATC, which was approved, and began their descent. The aircraft cabin altitude started climbing duirng the descent.
The passenger oxygen masks automatically deployed, so the flight attendants suspended beverage service and instructed the passengers to put on their oxygen masks (thereby activating O2 generators in psu?s).
After leveling at 10,000 feet, forward flight attendant (FA1) was notified by the flight crew that they were stabilized and did not require use of oxygen. The captain decided to return to dulles (kiad) and turned the aircraft back in that direction. The cabin crew notified passengers that it was safe to remove their oxygen masks. Then about three to five minutes later, FA1 reported visible smoke in cabin and instructed the passengers to put their oxygen masks back on. FA1 notified the flightcrew of the smoke. The captain and first officer did not report any visible smoke but they did smell a very strong order. The first officer notified ATC of this condition and requested the ?nearest available airport?. ATC declared an emergency for flight 3579 & suggested dover afb (kdov) or wilmington Delaware (kilg). The flightcrew selected kilg and ATC turned flight 3579 to a heading of 010.
During the turn towards kilg, FA1 selected the emergency notification to the flight deck and advised the flight crew it appeared the smoke was getting worse. The captain continued towards kilg. FA2 went through the cabin to make sure everyone had their seatbelts fastened, while FA1 used the fam for the announcement. The first officer advised FA1 that they would evacuate the aircraft when they came to a stop. Flight 3579 landed on runway 01 at kilg, and exited the runway on taxiway kilo (in close proximity to the positioned emergency vehicles).
As the aircraft came to a stop, FA1 initiated the emergency evacuation through the main cabin door only because the FA1 stated it was the safest exit to use based on the condition they had. No injuries were reported and no equipment malfunctioned during the evacuation. Flight attendeds stated the evacuation took less than 2 min. The first officer reported 61 passengers (including one child) and four crew members evacuated the aircraft safely and were immediately met by emergency responders.
As the FAA filed it
MESA FLIGHT 3759 DEPARTED WASHINGTON DULLES (KIAD) FOR LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KBOS) ON JANUARY 29, 2014. DURING THE FLIGHT WHILE CLIMBING TO FL310, THE LEFT BLEED WARNING MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED (TRIPLE CHIME). PILOT STATED HE LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AT FL280 AND NOTIFIED ATC OF THIS CONDITION. USING THE QRH CHECK LIST, WHICH REQUIRES DESCENT TO 10,000 FEET, THEY REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE FROM ATC, WHICH WAS APPROVED, AND BEGAN THEIR DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT CABIN ALTITUDE STARTED CLIMBING DUIRNG THE DESCENT.
THE PASSENGER OXYGEN MASKS AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOYED, SO THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SUSPENDED BEVERAGE SERVICE AND INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS TO PUT ON THEIR OXYGEN MASKS (THEREBY ACTIVATING O2 GENERATORS IN PSU?S).
AFTER LEVELING AT 10,000 FEET, FORWARD FLIGHT ATTENDANT (FA1) WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FLIGHT CREW THAT THEY WERE STABILIZED AND DID NOT REQUIRE USE OF OXYGEN. THE CAPTAIN DECIDED TO RETURN TO DULLES (KIAD) AND TURNED THE AIRCRAFT BACK IN THAT DIRECTION. THE CABIN CREW NOTIFIED PASSENGERS THAT IT WAS SAFE TO REMOVE THEIR OXYGEN MASKS. THEN ABOUT THREE TO FIVE MINUTES LATER, FA1 REPORTED VISIBLE SMOKE IN CABIN AND INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS TO PUT THEIR OXYGEN MASKS BACK ON. FA1 NOTIFIED THE FLIGHTCREW OF THE SMOKE. THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER DID NOT REPORT ANY VISIBLE SMOKE BUT THEY DID SMELL A VERY STRONG ORDER. THE FIRST OFFICER NOTIFIED ATC OF THIS CONDITION AND REQUESTED THE ?NEAREST AVAILABLE AIRPORT?. ATC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR FLIGHT 3579 & SUGGESTED DOVER AFB (KDOV) OR WILMINGTON DELAWARE (KILG). THE FLIGHTCREW SELECTED KILG AND ATC TURNED FLIGHT 3579 TO A HEADING OF 010.
DURING THE TURN TOWARDS KILG, FA1 SELECTED THE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION TO THE FLIGHT DECK AND ADVISED THE FLIGHT CREW IT APPEARED THE SMOKE WAS GETTING WORSE. THE CAPTAIN CONTINUED TOWARDS KILG. FA2 WENT THROUGH THE CABIN TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAD THEIR SEATBELTS FASTENED, WHILE FA1 USED THE FAM FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT. THE FIRST OFFICER ADVISED FA1 THAT THEY WOULD EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THEY CAME TO A STOP. FLIGHT 3579 LANDED ON RUNWAY 01 AT KILG, AND EXITED THE RUNWAY ON TAXIWAY KILO (IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE POSITIONED EMERGENCY VEHICLES).
AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, FA1 INITIATED THE EMERGENCY EVACUATION THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR ONLY BECAUSE THE FA1 STATED IT WAS THE SAFEST EXIT TO USE BASED ON THE CONDITION THEY HAD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND NO EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONED DURING THE EVACUATION. FLIGHT ATTENDEDS STATED THE EVACUATION TOOK LESS THAN 2 MIN. THE FIRST OFFICER REPORTED 61 PASSENGERS (INCLUDING ONE CHILD) AND FOUR CREW MEMBERS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AND WERE IMMEDIATELY MET BY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.