Incident Overview
On April 28, 2024, at 15:43 UTC, a Douglas DC-9-82 (MD82) with registration YV2923, operated by Línea Aérea de Servicio Ejecutivo Regional, C.A. (LASER), was preparing for a flight from Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía to Santo Domingo de las Américas. After closing the main door and starting the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), the aircraft began pushback from gate 13. During this maneuver, the flight crew observed smoke filling the cockpit without any corresponding indications on the instrument panel. Inspection revealed the smoke originated from the air conditioning duct. The captain contacted the purser, who confirmed that the passenger cabin was also rapidly filling with smoke. The captain decided to perform an emergency evacuation. The control tower was notified of the emergency, and aeronautical firefighters were alerted. The aircraft sustained minor damage, and all passengers were uninjured.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a twin-engine, twin-turbofan land plane manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, model DC-9-82 (MD82), serial number 49563. It was classified as commercial air transport and held a standard airworthiness certificate. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was airworthy per its current certificate. The 34-year-old captain held a commercial pilot license with valid medical certificate and ratings for instrument flight and MD80 captain (expiring February 1, 2025). The 27-year-old first officer also held a commercial pilot license and medical certificate, with ratings for instrument flight, C208 captain, MD80 copilot, BE30 copilot, and B350 copilot (ratings expiring November 27, 2024). Weather conditions were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with unlimited visibility, few clouds, and calm winds.
Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the Junta Investigadora de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (JIAAC). The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was downloaded and analyzed, capturing approximately seven minutes of audio. The recording indicated normal pre-flight briefings and communications until smoke was detected. No emergency alarms were recorded. The captain ordered evacuation procedures. The CVR captured two bell sounds followed by three high-pitched bells. Troubleshooting of the air conditioning distribution system found no contaminants; coalescer bags were replaced. Examination of the APU (part number 3800504-1, serial number P-80223) revealed it was internally seized with oil residue in the exhaust. The oil filter and magnetic particle detector showed no metal particles. After replacement of the APU, the aircraft operated normally with no smoke observed.
Findings
During the evacuation, photographic and video evidence showed that most passengers slid down the evacuation slides while wearing shoes and carrying hand luggage. The response time of the aeronautical firefighters was considered inadequate. Coordination between LASER platform coordinators and airport operations personnel was also insufficient. The investigation noted a lack of passenger awareness in following crew instructions during the evacuation. No probable cause was stated in the report.