What happened
On a medical evacuation flight from La Romaine Airport to Sept-Îles Airport, Quebec, a Beech 2-00 (registration C-FSKQ) encountered smoke in the cabin during its final approach to Runway 09. The flight, which was carrying two pilots, three medical personnel, and one patient, was operating under instrument flight rules in low visibility and freezing drizzle.
Upon being alerted by a passenger, the crew deactivated the cabin's fluorescent lights, the ordinance sign lights, and both engine air bleed systems. While the smoke appeared to clear, the aircraft landed safely at 1239 EST. However, once the aircraft reached the company's facilities and came to a stop, smoke reappeared. The crew was unable to find the source of the fire from within the cabin, but eventually observed flames burning the exterior paint on the upper left side of the fuselage. The crew used portable fire extinguishers to suppress the fire before municipal firefighters arrived.
There were no injuries, though the aircraft sustained significant damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the origin of the fire and the crew's response to the smoke. Investigators examined the electrical systems and found no evidence of electrical arcing or overheating in panel LH/5. Instead, they discovered arcing between the contacts of the power supply of panel LH/4 and its connector. This arcing generated enough heat to ignite a nearby strip of fabric, which then spread the fire to an air outlet, melting and consuming it.
Findings
- Arcing between the connector and the electrical power supply of panel LH/4 caused overheating sufficient to ignite the fire.
- The fire spread via a strip of fabric to the air outlet.
- The crew did not follow established emergency procedures for smoke and fume elimination, which include donning oxygen masks and following specific identification steps.
- The crew's decision not to declare an emergency may have led to unexpected consequences, as the dissipation of smoke provided a false sense of security.
- Several interior materials failed self-extinguishing tests, allowing flames to spread rapidly upon contact.