Flybe DH8D near Belfast on Dec 30th 2014, cargo smoke indication

Last Update: June 11, 2015 / 14:48:46 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Dec 30, 2014

Classification
Incident

Airline
Flybe

Flight number
BE-996

Aircraft Registration
G-JECI

ICAO Type Designator
DH8D

A Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration G-JECI performing flight BE-996 from Southampton,EN to Belfast City,NI (UK) with 69 passengers and 4 crew, was descending towards Belfast's City Airport when the crew received an aft cargo smoke indication, declared emergency and accelerated the approach into Belfast's City Airport. The aircraft landed safely, attending emergency services found no trace of fire, smoke or heat, the passengers disembarked normally via stairs and were bussed to the terminal.

The airline confirmed there was no sign of smoke in the rear baggage hold.

On Jun 11th 2015 the British AAIB reported in their monthly bulletin that a smoke detector's corroded connector pin was identified as source of the smoke indication.

The AAIB reported that the aircraft was descending through FL150 towards Belfast when the crew received a brief cargo smoke indication, the captain instructed the first officer to don the oxygen mask. While the first officer was donning the mask the cargo smoke indication re-occured followed by indication that the switch for the cargo fire suppression system illuminated. The crew completed the related checklist including pressing the discharge button for the cargo compartment, the captain also donned the oxygen mask. The crew advised ATC of the situation, the smoke warning still active, and briefed the flight attendants who in turn reported not detecting any smoke or smell of smoke in the cabin. The smoke warning extinguished, the captain advised the lead flight attendant that an evacuation after landing was still possible but instruction to initiate the evacuation should be waited for. Shortly before landing the smoke warning illuminated again, the captain attempted to contact emergency services for a first check of the aircraft while on short final but did not get a reply, the crew stopped the aircraft on the runway after landing and shut the engines down. Tower informed that no smoke was visible at the outside of the aircraft, there was no smell or smoke detected inside the cockpit or cabin, hence the commander instructed a rapid disembarkation.

The AAIB reported: "The aircraft had been dispatched on the flight with unserviceabilities affecting the public address (PA) system; the system was unserviceable at the senior cabin crew member’s station and the emergency system was also unserviceable. This meant that the rapid disembarkation PA had to be given from the aft cabin crew station, with the senior cabin crew member using a megaphone to inform and control the disembarkation from her station forward. Dispatch in this condition was permitted under the regulations governing the flight, and the crew had earlier discussed the implications for just such an occurrence. The rapid disembarkation was successful and there were no reported injuries."
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Dec 30, 2014

Classification
Incident

Airline
Flybe

Flight number
BE-996

Aircraft Registration
G-JECI

ICAO Type Designator
DH8D

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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