General Downing-Peoria Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Peoria, Illinois 61607
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 22:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

While on approach to the airport, the flight crew smelled smoke in the airplane. The airplane landed without incident and the crew directed an emergency ground egress. During the ground egress, one passenger broke her ankle. A postflight review of the airplane found that the airplane was operating on a single environmental pack that failed during the final approach, resulting in ambient air entering the airplane via the ram air inlet. An assessment of the airplane did not find any on-board sources of smoke. However, smoke from a large house fire was present along the airplane's approach path and likely was the source of smoke detected by the crew.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The emergency ground egress during which a passenger broke her ankle. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the environmental system, which allowed smoke from a nearby house fire to enter the airplane.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/18/2012
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2200
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Peoria
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 61607
Event Date Year 2012
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 403951N
Event Location Longitude 0894136W
Event Location Airport General Downing-Peoria
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PIA
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2154 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID KPIA
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night
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) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator --
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.86
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report METAR KPIA 190254Z 19004KT 10SM CLR 29/21 A2986 RM
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 56
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 31001
NTSB Notification Source Trevor Johnson, AA
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 11 2013 9:29AM
User who most recently changed record broda
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N502AE
NTSB Number CEN12LA457
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOMBARDIER INC
Aircraft Model CL-600-2C10
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 10018
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 80
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4333 AMON CARTER BLVD MD 5494
Aircraft Owner City FORT WORTH
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 76155
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES INC
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 4333 AMON CARTER BLVD MD 5494
Operator City FORT WORTH
Operator State TX
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 76155
Operator Code SIMA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number SIMA586A
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 No
Departure Airport Code DEN
Departure City Denver
Departure State CO
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1855
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ORD
Destination City Chicago
Destination State IL
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 11 2013 9:30AM
User who most recently changed record broda
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --