History of the Flight
The aircraft, an ATR 72-212A registered EI-FCY, operated a scheduled passenger flight from Birmingham Airport (EGBB) to Cork Airport (EICK). The flight was uneventful until approximately 52 nautical miles east of Cork, when the flight crew received a Master Caution indicating 'AC Bus 2' and 'Static Inverter 2' faults. Seconds later, a Master Warning for electrical smoke activated. The crew observed smoke and smelled an electrical burning odor in the cockpit. They immediately donned oxygen masks, and the co-pilot transmitted a Mayday to Air Traffic Control at Cork.
Flight Crew Actions
The crew performed the SMOKE checklist memory actions, then referred to the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). As the Engine and Warning Display showed 'ELEC SMK', they proceeded with the Electrical Smoke checklist, which instructed them to switch off both AC Wild (ACW) generators. Following these actions, the smoke dissipated and the warning cleared. The crew then removed their oxygen masks. The No. 2 cabin crew member reported a brief odd smell in the forward cabin. The commander briefed her on the situation and stated the intention to continue to Cork.
With both ACW generators off, main hydraulic pumps were unpowered, necessitating a manual landing gear extension. The crew requested and received a longer final approach to complete the ACW Total Loss procedure and the gear extension. The auxiliary hydraulics would become available after gear extension. The commander briefed the cabin crew using a NITS briefing, indicating a normal landing expected.
Aftermath
The aircraft landed at 09:05 UTC and taxied to stand, where passengers disembarked normally. There were no injuries to crew or passengers, and no damage to the aircraft. The investigation noted that the precise source of the smoke could not be determined. The QRH had an incorrect reference number for the ACW Total Loss procedure, which was later corrected by the manufacturer.