2025-04 · NASA ASRS report 2237752
CRJ-900 flight crew reported while arriving at the gate they experienced loss of power. The flight crew re-energized the engine generator resulting in smoke in the flight deck and cabin. Aircraft was evacuated and no active fire was observed.
During descent to ZZZ; we activated the APU below 10;000 feet and below 250 knots for passenger comfort. The APU started normally; and we transferred the bleed air sources as per standard procedures. After parking at the gate; we began our normal shutdown flow.We did not open the electric synoptic page to confirm that power was transferring to the APU generator at that time. The captain shut down both engine generators and engine #1. Immediately afterward; the aircraft lost electrical power and went dark. We verified that the APU generator switch was in the ON position; but the APU generator was not online; as confirmed on the synoptic page. To restore electrical power; the captain re-energized engine #2 generator; since engine #2 was still running.Shortly thereafter; we received multiple messages indicating open doors; however; all doors were known to be closed at that point. At the same time; we began to smell smoke in the flight deck. We communicated with the flight attendant; who also reported smelling smoke. No abnormal indications or alarms were present in the cockpit to identify the source of the smoke.As the smoke intensified; we proceeded to run the QRC for evacuation. During this process; we informed the ramp tower that we suspected a fire and requested immediate fire trucks at our gate. We did not wait for a response from ramp tower before completing the QRC; prioritizing locating and eliminating the potential fire source.While executing the QRC; the flight attendant opened the main cabin door; and the gate agent attached the jet bridge; unaware of the smoke situation. I went outside to assist with expedited deplaning and observed smoke emanating from engine #1. I informed the captain; and she used a fire bottle on engine #1; which appeared to stop the smoke.I then asked the gate agent to call for fire trucks. The captain also contacted operations to request fire assistance. Passengers began deplaning promptly with the help of the flight attendant. During this time; ramp personnel unloaded baggage directly underneath the smoking engine. I quickly went outside to advise them to stay clear of the engine area.A mechanic arrived on scene; followed by fire trucks. The fire department personnel stated they could not intervene unless there was an active fire. They waited while the mechanic opened the engine cowling; and after inspection confirmed there was no active fire. Once the inspection was complete; the fire trucks departed.The passengers deplaned safely and their baggage was delivered normally. I then contacted the manger and dispatch to inform them of the incident. An eMEL was created for the engine smoke and the APU generator issue.After a crew debrief; we determined it was safe to continue operations. We operated two additional flights on a different aircraft without further incident.Summary:• No injuries or passenger distress reported.• Electrical power was temporarily lost but successfully restored.• Smoke source identified as engine #1; no active fire confirmed.Suggestions:Recommendations:• Consider opening the electric synoptic page during shutdown to verify generator status.• Review procedures for immediate fire declaration and response.• Ensure all crew are familiar with rapid response protocols in case of smoke or fire indications.• Ramp personnel should be trained not to approach or unload baggage near an engine producing smoke or fire. They should immediately inform their supervisor or manager; who must promptly call for fire trucks. Delays in requesting fire assistance can hinder effective firefighting and compromise safety.
During descent to ZZZ; we turned on the APU below 10;000 feet and below 250 knots for passenger comfort. The APU started normally; and we transferred the bleed air sources as per standard procedure. After parking at the gate; we commenced our normal shutdown procedures.I did not open the electric synoptic page to confirm power transfer to the APU generator at that time. I shut down both engine generators and engine #1. Subsequently; the aircraft went dark electrically. We verified that the APU generator switch was in the ON position; but the APU generator was not online; as confirmed on the synoptic page. To restore electrical power; I re-energized engine #2 generator; because the engine #2 was still running.Shortly thereafter; we received a series of messages indicating open doors; however; all doors were confirmed closed at that time. Simultaneously; we began to smell smoke in the flight deck. We communicated with the flight attendant; who also reported smelling smoke. No abnormal indications or alarms were present in the flight deck to identify the source of the smoke.As the smoke intensified; we proceeded to run the QRC for evacuation. During this time; we informed the ramp tower that we suspected a fire and requested immediate fire truck assistance at our gate. We did not await a response from the ramp tower before completing the QRC; prioritizing locating and eliminating the potential fire source.While executing the QRC; the flight attendant opened the main cabin door; and the gate agent attached the jet bridge; unaware of the smoke situation. My First Officer went outside to assist with expedited deplaning and observed smoke emanating from engine #1. He informed me; and I used a fire bottle on engine #1; which appeared to stop the smoke.The First Officer then asked the gate agent to call for fire trucks. I also contacted operations to request fire assistance. Passengers began deplaning promptly with the assistance of the flight attendant. During this process; ramp personnel unloaded baggage directly beneath the smoking engine. My First Officer quickly moved outside to advise them to stay clear of the engine area. A mechanic arrived on scene; followed by fire trucks. The fire department personnel stated they could not intervene unless there was an active fire. They waited while the mechanic opened the engine cowling. Inspection confirmed no active fire. Once the inspection was complete; the fire trucks departed.The passengers deplaned uneventfully; and their baggage was delivered as normal. I subsequently contacted the manger and dispatch to inform them of the incident. An eMEL was created for the engine smoke and the APU generator issue.After a crew debrief; we determined it was safe to continue operations. We operated two subsequent flights on a different aircraft without further incident.Summary:• No injuries or passenger distress reported.• Electrical power was temporarily lost but restored.• Smoke source identified as engine #1; no fire confirmed.CauseUnknown.SuggestionsRecommendations:• Consider opening the electric synoptic page during shutdown to verify generator status.• Review procedures for immediate fire declaration and response.• Ensure all crew are familiar with rapid response protocols in case of smoke or fire indications.• Ramp personnel should be trained not to approach or unload baggage near an engine that is producing smoke or fire. They should immediately inform their supervisor or manager; who should then promptly call for fire trucks to ensure a rapid and coordinated response. The current delay in calling fire services can hinder effective firefighting and safety.
More incidents for this aircraft family
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
Loading the flight search…
Pick an aircraft model — Boeing 737, Airbus A320, A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and more — enter your origin airport, and FlightFinder shows every route that plane flies from there with live fares.
We support Boeing 737/747/757/767/777/787, the full Airbus A220/A319/A320/A321/A330/A340/A350/A380 family, Embraer E170/E175/E190/E195, Bombardier CRJ and Dash 8, and the ATR 42/72 turboprops.
Search and schedules are free. Pro ($4.99/month, $39/year, or $99 one-time lifetime) unlocks the enriched flight card — on-time stats, CO₂ per passenger, amenities, live gate & weather — plus My Trips with push alerts.
Live schedules come from Amadeus, AeroDataBox and Travelpayouts. Observed routes (which aircraft actually flew a given city pair) are crowdsourced from adsb.lol ADS-B data under the Open Database License.