Incident Overview
On 17 November 2005, at 17:22 UTC, a SAAB 2000 aircraft operated by Darwin Airline as flight DWT 018 was preparing to depart from Lugano Airport (LSZA) to Geneva (LSGG) on a scheduled flight. The crew received take-off clearance from runway 01 at 17:21:10 UTC. During the acceleration phase, at approximately 60 knots, an aural warning sounded and the FWD LAVATORY SMOKE warning illuminated in the cockpit. Both pilots noticed the warning simultaneously. The commander immediately decided to abort the take-off. The aircraft came to a stop on runway 01 after a rolling distance of about 480 metres.
Emergency Evacuation
After the aircraft stopped, the commander contacted the flight attendant stationed at the front cabin (working station 1) to inquire about smoke in the lavatory. The flight attendant reported that there was smoke in the cabin, prompting the commander to order an emergency evacuation. During the evacuation, one passenger sustained slight injuries to the foot.
Cause and Investigation
The investigation by the Federal Aircraft Accident Board determined that the serious incident was attributable to a smoke warning in the lavatory being triggered by contaminated air from the air-conditioning system. The crew's decision to abort the take-off and carry out an immediate evacuation was a direct response to the warning. No other causal factors were identified. The aircraft had completed five uneventful flights earlier that day after a daily check.
Aftermath
Since the incident, the propeller manufacturer Dowty and the operator Darwin Airline implemented measures to prevent recurrence. The Federal Aircraft Accident Board issued safety recommendations as part of the final report.