What happened
On the afternoon of 22 August 2024, an Embraer ERJ-135LR, registration ZS-OUV, was operating a scheduled passenger service from O.R. Tambo International Aerodrome to Sishen Airport. The flight, operated by Airlink, was carrying 14 passengers and three crew members.
During the climb phase, while the aircraft was at approximately 24,500 feet over Potchef．stroom, the flight crew identified a burning smell within the cockpit. Shortly thereafter, white smoke became visible. In response to the developing situation, the crew donned oxygen masks and consulted the aircraft's Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) for emergency procedures regarding cockpit and cabin smoke. The first officer subsequently issued a PAN PAN call to air traffic control.
The captain initiated an immediate return to O.R. Tambo International Aerodrome. Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) teams were positioned on standby for the arrival. The aircraft landed safely on Runway 21L approximately 51 minutes after its initial departure. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew, and no external damage was found on the aircraft following a post-landing inspection.
The investigation
The South African Civil Aviation Authority Accident and Incident Investigations Division (SACAA AIID) launched an investigation into the serious incident. Investigators reviewed the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that the last maintenance inspection had been completed on 21 June 2024.
While the aircraft was equipped with both a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, the CVR data could not be retrieved because the recordings were overwritten during subsequent maintenance troubleshooting. The investigation is currently focused on determining the specific origin of the smoke.