History of the Flight
On 30 December 2005 at 1519 UTC, a BAe 125-800B (registration G-OLDD) was conducting a training flight with five crew on board and no passengers. During an ILS approach to runway 24 at Southend Airport, a bang was heard from the left side of the cockpit, followed immediately by sparks and smoke issuing from the left pilot's footwell. A distress message was transmitted, and both pilots donned oxygen masks. Emergency drills were performed from memory. The smoke cleared within 30 seconds, and the aircraft landed normally with no further untoward indications. At the end of the landing run, all aircraft systems appeared to be operating normally. The aircraft was shut down with fire crews in attendance.
Aircraft Examination
Subsequent examination of the aircraft revealed an area of burnt wiring at the P1 screen heat filter. Chafing and burning was found in the region of connections B1, B2, and B3. The remedial action included replacement of damaged wiring as required and general checking of the routing to prevent a recurrence. The P2 windscreen and its heating were checked and found to be in a satisfactory condition. No history of similar problems was recorded on this aircraft.
Discussion
Smoke generated from an electrical failure will present a crew with more of a significant hazard in the smaller volume of the cabin of an executive jet than in the larger cabins of scheduled passenger aircraft. In this particular event, however, the smoke generated by the short circuit dissipated rapidly, indicating that the circuit protection functioned rapidly and effectively. The limited area and degree of damage found on examination support this deduction.
Injuries and Damage
No injuries were reported among the crew. The aircraft sustained minor damage to electrical wiring.