Incident Overview

Date: Friday 12 November 1982
Aircraft Type: Swearingen SA226-AT Merlin IV
Owner/operator: Danair
Registration Number: OY-AUI
Location: K?benhavn-Kastrup Airport (CPH) – ÿ Denmark
Phase of Flight: Taxi
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 15
Component Affected: Left cockpit side consoleLeft cockpit side console
Category: Accident
On March 1, 2024, a commercial passenger flight from Stauning Airport to Copenhagen Airport experienced a significant incident at approximately 18:11 hours on runway 30. The aircraft, Merlin IV, encountered a minor fire in the left cockpit side console. The captain immediately initiated emergency procedures, halting taxiing and bringing the aircraft to a stop. A flash fire erupted, causing significant damage to the cockpit side console. The crew then evacuated the aircraft, and the captain issued a warning to the passengers. The incident occurred due to an electrical short to ground originating from a melted PVC oxygen tube, resulting in an intense fire that rapidly spread.On March 1, 2024, a commercial passenger flight from Stauning Airport to Copenhagen Airport experienced a significant incident at approximately 18:11 hours on runway 30. The aircraft, Merlin IV, encountered a minor fire in the left cockpit side console. The captain immediately initiated emergency procedures, halting taxiing and bringing the aircraft to a stop. A flash fire erupted, causing significant damage to the cockpit side console. The crew then evacuated the aircraft, and the captain issued a warning to the passengers. The incident occurred due to an electrical short to ground originating from a melted PVC oxygen tube, resulting in an intense fire that rapidly spread.

Description

The Merlin IV aircraft operated on a scheduled passenger flight from Stauning Airport to Copenhagen Airport in Denmark. Flight DX386 departed Stauning at 17:24 hours. During approach to runway 22L the captain noticed a faint smell of burnt insulation and asked the co-pilot if he could smell anything “hot”. The co-pilot who could not confirm the smell was asked by the captain to turn the cabin temperature – which was operated in manual mode – towards cold. The captain checked indication and warning systems for generators, batteries, circuit breakers and continued the approach. After a normal approach and landing at 18:07 hours the aircraft was cleared to the parking area via taxiway two and to change frequency to Apron Tower when clear of the runway. After contact with Apron Tower instructions were received for taxi to parking via taxiway two and inner perimeter but one minute later new instructions were received to taxi via runway three zero. While taxiing the left engine was shut down as is normal company procedure and taxiing continued on the right engine. Suddenly the captain noticed a flash outside the aircraft. The captain’s first thought was that fire had started in the left engine or in the brakes and he brought the aircraft to a halt to investigate. Very shortly after a flash fire erupted in the left hand cockpit side console aft of and close to the captain’s left leg. The crew made no radio transmissions about the fire since all electrical power was immediately turned off, in accordance with emergency procedure, after the aircraft was brought to a stop. The captain shouted towards the cabin: “It is burning, out”. The passengers and crew then vacated the aircraft. The accident occurred at or about 18:11 hours on runway 30 during darkness. Causal factors: – An intense fire had erupted in the aft end of the left hand cockpit side console/ originating from an electrical short to ground. – Contributing to the intensity of the fire was escaping oxygen under 70 PSI pressure through a melted PVC oxygen tube.

Primary Cause

Electrical short to ground originating from a melted PVC oxygen tube.Electrical short to ground originating from a melted PVC oxygen tube.

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