Incident Overview
On 16 January 2020 at 16:26 UTC, during preparation for flight at Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA), the crew of a Bombardier CRJ900LR, registration ES-ACL, reported smoke in the passenger cabin after engine start. The odor suggested an electrical fire. The tower controller informed the airport duty supervisor, who directed the airport fire service to the scene.
Crew Actions
The cabin crew chief decided to open the L1 door to ventilate the cabin. Although the smoke intensity noticeably decreased, the captain decided to have passengers and crew deplane. As no source of smoke or open flame was observed, the captain and cabin crew chief opted to use the standard deplaning procedure rather than an emergency evacuation.
Investigation Findings
The Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation determined the cause of the incident to be damage to a relay in the electrical system of the passenger cabin ceiling lighting.
Preventive Measures
Following the incident, the operator implemented a new procedure for rapid deplaning consistent with the Regional Jet CRJ 700/900 OM-B 11.4. Additionally, the Flight Operations Department revised existing procedures and algorithms for fire/smoke events to provide greater detail.
No additional safety recommendations were formulated.