Incident
On 19 August 2010 at 1445 hrs, a DHC-8-402 Dash 8, registration G-JEDK, experienced smoke entering the cabin and flight deck soon after takeoff from Manchester Airport. The aircraft was conducting a commercial air transport passenger flight with 4 crew and 31 passengers on board. No injuries were reported and no damage occurred to the aircraft.
History of the Flight
Shortly after takeoff, the senior cabin crew member contacted the commander to report mist or smoke in the cabin along with a strange smell. Soon after, the flight deck also began to fill with smoke. The flight crew carried out the smoke vital actions and transmitted a 'PAN' call, deciding to return to Manchester Airport. After completing the appropriate checklist items, the crew contacted the cabin crew to brief them for the arrival. As the smoke worsened, the crew upgraded their status to 'MAYDAY'. The cabin crew were briefed to expect a normal landing followed by an emergency evacuation on the commander's order.
As the smoke in the cabin thickened, a toilet fire alarm activated. Two cabin crew prepared to fight a toilet fire but found none. They then checked overhead lockers for signs of fire, also with negative results. Circuit breakers for cabin and galley equipment were pulled as a precaution. The cabin crew briefed passengers seated by the self-help exits.
Evacuation
After approximately 14 minutes airborne, the aircraft landed without further incident and came to a stop on the runway. Once the appropriate drills were completed and the propellers stopped rotating, the commander ordered the evacuation. The evacuation was successful and without injury. Emergency services estimated the evacuation was complete in about 15 seconds.
Engineering Inspection
An engineering inspection revealed that an internal oil seal in the left engine had failed, leading to oil contamination of the engine bleed air and thus of the conditioned air supply to the cabin.