History of Flight
On April 16, 2015, at approximately 1910 eastern daylight time, a Dassault-Breguet Mystere Falcon 900B, registration N610RL, sustained minor damage due to an inflight electrical fire. The airplane had departed Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, New York, at about 1715, destined for Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Orlando, Florida. The flight, operated under 14 CFR Part 91, carried a pilot, copilot, cabin attendant, and 12 passengers; none were injured.
According to the cabin attendant, she noticed an unusual odor in the galley and inspected the appliances, finding nothing amiss. She then opened a storage area for crystal glasses and observed a glow behind it. The pilot returned to the cabin, discharged a fire extinguisher, then requested a second extinguisher and successfully suppressed the fire. The pilot instructed the attendant to monitor the area.
The pilot reported detecting the odor while descending through 20,000 feet on the Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) for MCO. After confirming all galley appliances were off, smoke appeared. The crew declared an emergency and requested priority to the nearest airport. The pilot handed flight controls to the copilot, who assumed flying and radio duties with the autopilot engaged. The copilot shut off power to the cabin and galley. The pilot extinguished the fire using a Halon portable fire bottle behind the crystal storage. The crew opted to continue to MCO due to its large runways and firefighting capabilities. The landing was normal; after evacuation, fire personnel found no hot spots.
The copilot stated they first noticed a smell, then smoke, at approximately 1910 while on the STAR. Determining the source was the galley, they declared an emergency and requested vectors. After smoke appeared and the cabin attendant confirmed power was off, the pilot took control of the firefighting. No further smoke was observed, so they continued to MCO for an abnormal approach and landing with ATC priority. Post-landing inspection revealed burnt wiring behind the galley.
Aircraft Information
The incident airplane was a Dassault Falcon 900B, a long-range executive jet with three Garrett TFE 731-5BR-1C turbofan engines. It was manufactured in 1988 and completed in 1989. At the time of the incident, the airplane had accumulated approximately 9,949 total flight hours. Its most recent continuous airworthiness inspection was completed on April 13, 2015.
Over its 26-year service life, the airplane underwent multiple C checks and numerous modifications, including lighting, interior, and galley changes, which involved rerouting and securing wiring, and removal and replacement of panels and cabinetry near the fire area.
Meteorological Information
At 1853, the recorded weather at MCO included wind from 040 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 7 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, broken clouds at 8,000 feet, temperature 23°C, dew point 22°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the area behind the crystal storage in the galley by maintenance personnel revealed sooting and a burnt wiring bundle behind plenum ducting. The plenum ducting lacked an edge protection strip or anti-chafe material on its sharp edge. The burnt bundle contained 28-volt DC wiring and ground wires for the EMTEQ LED cabin headliner and downwash lighting. The associated circuit breaker (28VDC Bus A1 "FWD Cabin Ceiling A") had tripped. Two insulation bags were fire-damaged, and wires had been routed over them instead of adjacent to the aircraft structure. The wiring was in contact with or near a soft oxygen line that had been completely burned through.
Additional Information
In response, Duncan Aviation filed a Service Difficulty Report with the FAA on April 21, 2015, and published Service Alert 2015.12.1 on January 19, 2016, advising inspectors to check for chafing, pinching, and proper clearance of wiring. Dassault Aviation published a TOME III Event Report on April 22, 2015, and issued Falcon Service News Flash FSN-211-R00-A on November 25, 2015, describing the event and recommending inspections.
Tests and Research
Examination of the oxygen system revealed the burned soft oxygen line was part of the passenger and cabin attendant mask supply. The system includes a high-pressure cylinder and an oxygen controller. The emergency procedures in the Falcon 900 Operating Manual include steps for smoke and fire; if followed, the burned oxygen line would have been pressurized.
Photographs indicated the oxygen line and wiring installation did not conform to the original design. The clamp near the fire-damaged area appeared to be the wrong part, and a spacer and support were likely missing, failing to maintain the required ½-inch separation between the oxygen line and wiring.
Materials laboratory examination of wire sections found varying degrees of fire damage, including melting, charring, and electrical erosion. No clear evidence of chafing or nicks was observed. The soft oxygen line had extensive mid-length damage, with the hose material missing and only the support coil remaining; no copper transfer was detected on the coil.
Post-incident examinations of other Falcon 900 airplanes by Dassault and Duncan Aviation found interference issues on several aircraft, including contact between oxygen lines and structure or wiring, and a wire with damaged insulation on one airplane.
The NTSB database recorded two prior similar incidents involving Dassault airplanes: one in 1988 (FTW88IA052) and one in 2003 (NYC04IA037), both involving electrical fires with minor damage and no injuries.