Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Asheville Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Asheville, North Carolina 28804
Sunday, March 19, 2006 7:19 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the flight crew, while climbing through 17,000 feet, the captain smelled smoke. A few seconds later flames and smoke started shooting out of the lower left windshield. The captain believed it was the windshield heat unit. The first officer turned off the windshield heat and the flames went out, but the smoke persisted. The captain declared an emergency with air traffic controllers and returned to the Asheville Regional Airport. Examination of the windshield found that the overheat damage was the result of an improperly installed fastener that resulted in arcing between the terminal block lug, the aircraft wiring eyelet and the fastener and lock washer that secures the two components together. The arcing progressed over time degrading the solder junction between the terminal block and the windshield heating system braid wire that resulted in heat damage to the sealant and the subsequent flame.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The improper installation of the pilot's windshield by company maintenance personnel, which resulted in flame and smoke in the cockpit, and subsequent emergency landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 3/19/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 719 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Asheville |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28804 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 352610N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0823230W |
| Event Location Airport | Asheville Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AVL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2165 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2165 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 33 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21415 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 19 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 29 2007 12:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Charlotte FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8783E |
| NTSB Number | ATL06IA054 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bombardier, Inc. |
| Aircraft Model | CL-600-2B19 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7783 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 53000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 48 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6975 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Nowthwest Airlines (Wells Fargo Financial) |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Minneapolis |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55450 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Pinnacle Airlines, Inc |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1689 Nonconnoh Blvd |
| Operator City | Memphis |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 38132 |
| Operator Code | REXA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | AVL |
| Departure City | Ashville |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 709 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CVG |
| Destination City | Covington |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb - to cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 23 2007 11:54AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |