What happened
On May 29, 2003, at approximately 14:15 local time, a Cessna 550B, registration EC-HRO, was operating an air taxi flight from Barcelona to Málaga. While cruising at flight level 290 after passing the Ebrox waypoint, the crew observed white smoke and a strong odor entering the right side of the cockpit. No warning lights or circuit breaker trips were triggered by the event.
In response to the smoke, the crew implemented emergency procedures, including the use of oxygen masks, and requested an immediate diversion to Reus Airport. The smoke dissipated within minutes, and the aircraft completed a visual approach to runway 07 without further incident, landing at 1el 14:25. Following the landing, the crew evacuated the 7 occupants (3 crew and 4 passengers) without injury. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the hangar area.
The investigation
Technical personnel from the operator arrived at Reus two hours after the landing to inspect the aircraft. The investigation focused on the area behind the instrument panel on the right side, where the smoke and an electrical burning odor had been most prominent.
Upon inspection, technicians identified the source of the odor as an internal fan located behind the right-side navigation display. The investigation included a visual inspection of all associated wiring and the removal of equipment for testing. The navigation unit, a Honeywell model (P/N: 7014300-900), had been installed in September 2000. The unit was sent to the manufacturer to determine the specific cause of the component failure.
Findings
- The primary cause of the smoke was a short circuit within a fan integrated into the Honeywell navigation display.
- The navigation display continued to function correctly during the incident because the unit featured redundant ventilation.
- The maintenance status for this specific component was defined as "on condition."