What happened
On 10 November 2019, a Bombardier CL6/600-2B16 (registration N227WG) departed from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Spain, bound for Nottingham East Midlands Airport, United Kingdom. The aircraft was operated by Flying M, LLC with two crew members on board.
While climbing through approximately 29,000 feet, the crew noticed smoke and the smell of an electrical fire emanating from behind the right side of the instrument panel. The pilot-in-command declared an emergency, and the crew requested a descent and vectors back to Madrid. During the descent, the crew reported that the smoke intensity fluctuated but eventually began to diminish. The aircraft landed safely on runway 32L at 12:21 hours. Upon arrival, the aircraft was met by airport fire services, though no active fire required intervention.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation relied on information provided by the aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier Aviation, as the aircraft and crew could not be located at the time of the inquiry. Maintenance records from the operator's service provider indicated that the aircraft was repaired and returned to service shortly after the event.
Upon removing the right-hand instrument panel in the presence of firefighters, investigators identified damage to the electrical components. The investigation focused on the terminal board assembly associated with the right-hand windshield heating system.
Findings
- The smoke in the cockpit was caused by the overheating of wires and the burning of a surrounding thermal blanket.
- The investigation identified loose wiring connections on a terminal board assembly as the primary cause of the incident.
- These loose connections led to electrical arcing and overheating within the windshield heating system installation.
- There was no evidence to suggest that a sustained fire had occurred.
- The two crew members involved in the incident were uninjured.