What happened
On August 15, 2019, at 06:22 UTC, an Embraer ERJ190, registration SP-LMB, departed from Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA). Shortly after takeoff, cabin crew notified the flight deck via interphone that smoke had appeared within the passenger cabin. In response to the situation, the pilot decided to return to the departure airport. The aircraft landed at EPWA without declaring an emergency, though airport emergency services provided assistance during the arrival.
Due to the presence of hazardous materials on board—specifically Selenium Oxide (U1811-T)—the aircraft was initially placed under quarantine to determine if the substance contributed to the smoke. During this period, the crew and passengers were monitored by airport medical rescue services.
The investigation
The investigation focused on determining the source of the smoke and evaluating the potential impact of the transported dangerous goods. Chemical rescue units from the State Fire Service conducted inspections of the aircraft cabin to assess whether the Selenium Oxide had played a role in the incident.
Findings
Inspections performed by the chemical rescue teams did not confirm any influence from the hazardous substances on the occurrence of the smoke. Following these findings, the quarantine on the aircraft was lifted, and the crew and passengers were released.
Safety action
Following the investigation, the following preventive actions were implemented:
- The incident was recorded in the Safety Management System (SMS) database.
- The event was classified according to the operator's established criteria.
- The occurrence was included in the Safety Performance Indicators (SPI) as outlined in the Safety Management Manual.