What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 25, 2015, air Wisconsin operated flight #4010 (cl- 65, N430AW) from charlotte Douglas international airport, charlotte, NC (clt) to Richmond international airport, Richmond, VA (ric). During landing rollout passengers began yelling "fire" and pointing towards the floor of the aircraft. The sole flight attendant seated in his forward jumpseat heard a "pop" sound. He observed smoke and "a flame" under passenger seat 1D. He immediately notified the flight deck of fire and smoke in the cabin and began fighting the fire with a halon extinguisher. The flight crew stopped the aircraft and ordered an emergency evacuation over the pa (public address system). Passengers seated in the emergency exit row opened the overwing exits and began evacuating the aircraft. At the same time, the flight attendant extinguished the fire and opened the forward passenger entry door. The remaining passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft through the foward passenger entry door. All passengers and crew evacuated with no injuries.
It was later determined that the cause of fire and smoke in the cabin was from a spare e-cigarette battery (lithium ion) located in a passenger's carry on bag. The passenger was seated in 2D and his bag was stowed under seat 1D. The spare e-cigarette batteries were not protected. The battery burned through the bag and fell onto the aircraft floor then burned the carpet.
FAA inspectors from the Richmond flight standards district office (FSDO) responded to the scene and provided o'hare flight standards district office (FSDO) with reports. Special agents from the Washington area hazardous materials field (wdc hmfo) also responded and are involved in the investigation.
8020.11C evacuation questions:
1. Reason for the evacuation?
Fire and smoke in the cabin.
2. Who initiated evacuation?
Flight deck over the pa (public address system) followed by flight attendant after extinguishing the fire.
3. Which exits (by specific location) were used, which were not, and reason for non-use?
Both overwing exits were used and the forward passenger entry door was used. The aft service door was not needed because all passengers evacuated from overwing exits and forward passenger entry door.
4. Whether any exit slides, or associate components malfunctioned and, if so, what were the malfunctions.
There were no slide or exit malfunctions.
5. Whether any particular exit was used by the majority of evacuees and, if so, why?
The majority of passengers exited through the overwing exits due to the fire being in the front of the aircraft.
6. Estimated time it took to evacuate the aircraft?
About a minute.
7. The nature and extent of any injuries?
There were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 25, 2015, AIR WISCONSIN OPERATED FLIGHT #4010 (CL- 65, N430AW) FROM CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CHARLOTTE, NC (CLT) TO RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, RICHMOND, VA (RIC). DURING LANDING ROLLOUT PASSENGERS BEGAN YELLING "FIRE" AND POINTING TOWARDS THE FLOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SOLE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SEATED IN HIS FORWARD JUMPSEAT HEARD A "POP" SOUND. HE OBSERVED SMOKE AND "A FLAME" UNDER PASSENGER SEAT 1D. HE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE FLIGHT DECK OF FIRE AND SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND BEGAN FIGHTING THE FIRE WITH A HALON EXTINGUISHER. THE FLIGHT CREW STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT AND ORDERED AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OVER THE PA (PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM). PASSENGERS SEATED IN THE EMERGENCY EXIT ROW OPENED THE OVERWING EXITS AND BEGAN EVACUATING THE AIRCRAFT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND OPENED THE FORWARD PASSENGER ENTRY DOOR. THE REMAINING PASSENGERS AND CREW EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE FOWARD PASSENGER ENTRY DOOR. ALL PASSENGERS AND CREW EVACUATED WITH NO INJURIES.
IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF FIRE AND SMOKE IN THE CABIN WAS FROM A SPARE E-CIGARETTE BATTERY (LITHIUM ION) LOCATED IN A PASSENGER'S CARRY ON BAG. THE PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN 2D AND HIS BAG WAS STOWED UNDER SEAT 1D. THE SPARE E-CIGARETTE BATTERIES WERE NOT PROTECTED. THE BATTERY BURNED THROUGH THE BAG AND FELL ONTO THE AIRCRAFT FLOOR THEN BURNED THE CARPET.
FAA INSPECTORS FROM THE RICHMOND FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND PROVIDED O'HARE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) WITH REPORTS. SPECIAL AGENTS FROM THE WASHINGTON AREA HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FIELD (WDC HMFO) ALSO RESPONDED AND ARE INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION.
8020.11C EVACUATION QUESTIONS:
1. REASON FOR THE EVACUATION?
FIRE AND SMOKE IN THE CABIN.
2. WHO INITIATED EVACUATION?
FLIGHT DECK OVER THE PA (PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM) FOLLOWED BY FLIGHT ATTENDANT AFTER EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE.
3. WHICH EXITS (BY SPECIFIC LOCATION) WERE USED, WHICH WERE NOT, AND REASON FOR NON-USE?
BOTH OVERWING EXITS WERE USED AND THE FORWARD PASSENGER ENTRY DOOR WAS USED. THE AFT SERVICE DOOR WAS NOT NEEDED BECAUSE ALL PASSENGERS EVACUATED FROM OVERWING EXITS AND FORWARD PASSENGER ENTRY DOOR.
4. WHETHER ANY EXIT SLIDES, OR ASSOCIATE COMPONENTS MALFUNCTIONED AND, IF SO, WHAT WERE THE MALFUNCTIONS.
THERE WERE NO SLIDE OR EXIT MALFUNCTIONS.
5. WHETHER ANY PARTICULAR EXIT WAS USED BY THE MAJORITY OF EVACUEES AND, IF SO, WHY?
THE MAJORITY OF PASSENGERS EXITED THROUGH THE OVERWING EXITS DUE TO THE FIRE BEING IN THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
6. ESTIMATED TIME IT TOOK TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT?
ABOUT A MINUTE.
7. THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF ANY INJURIES?
THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
Other reports on N430AW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.