Description

On 15 January 2009, an Embraer 195-200 being operated by UK Regional Airline Flybe was passing overhead Edinburgh UK at FL370 at night in VMC when communications problems between the flight deck and cabin crew occurred following the selection of emergency power as a precautionary measure after smoke, considered to possibly be of electrical origin, had been observed in the galley. An en route diversion with an uneventful outcome was accomplished.

The Event

The following is taken from the UK AAIB Final Report on this event:

"The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger service from Aberdeen to London Gatwick. As it cruised overhead Edinburgh at FL370, the Senior Cabin Crew Member (SCCM) poured half a jug of water down the forward galley sink. He saw that “smoke”, apparently “ice‑blue” in colour, immediately began to emanate from the sink. He assumed that this was not steam, as the jug of water had been drawn from the boiler some minutes previously, and he checked the galley area for signs of fire. He called another cabin crew member to the forward galley, and they both assessed that the “smoke” was not steam. There were no signs of combustion, and neither crew member detected an odour.

The flight deck and cabin crews took appropriate emergency action. In the course of the ‘Electrical System Fire or Smoke’ procedure, the flight crew disarmed the emergency lighting, deployed the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) and then selected off the Integral Drive Generators (IDGs), which are the engine-driven sources of main electrical power. This caused all the cabin lighting to extinguish; it was early morning and there was little ambient light. In the flight deck, only one Primary Flight Display (PFD) and one Multi‑Function Display (MFD) remained operating.