What happened
On 5 August 2005, an Embraer 145EU, registration G-EMBP, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt to Birmingham Airport. While cruising at FL360, the cabin crew noticed hazy smoke appearing in the central section of the cabin. In response, the flight crew donned oxygen masks and issued a 'PAN' call to Air Traffic Control to declare an emergency.
As the aircraft descended through FL50 during its final approach, the cabin crew reported that the smoke had reappeared and had moved toward the front of the cabin. Due to the potential need for a runway evacuation, the flight crew performed a descent to FL240. Shortly before touchdown, the cabin crew notified the commander that the smoke had cleared. Upon landing at Birmingham, the pilot stopped the aircraft on the runway to coordinate with the Airport Fire Service.
The investigation
Following the landing, the Airport Fire Service boarded the aircraft to inspect the cabin. No evidence of active smoke or fire was found by the emergency responders. As a precautionary measure, the passengers were evacuated from the aircraft, and G-EMBP was towed to a stand.
Findings
- The investigation established that the smoke originated from a faulty bearing located on the cabin air recirculation fan.
- The crew had previously been informed of a potential issue with an air conditioning pack earlier in the day, which had prompted a descent to a lower altitude.
- Had the recirculation fan been switched off as part of the standard emergency procedures, the smoke would not have been distributed through the cabin.