Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 N426TE

Summary

On 31 March 1993 at about 19:00 local time, a Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 registered N426TE, operated by Trans States Airlines, was involved in an incident near Moline, Illinois, United States. 21 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 March 1993 at 19:00

Classification

Incident

Location

Moline, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.4792, -90.4802

Aircraft

Aerospatiale ATR-42-300

Registration

N426TE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Trans States Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Louis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI93IA124

Nobody was injured.

THE PASSENGER'S FAILURE TO EXTINGUISH A CIGARETTE BEFORE PLACING IT INTO THE LAVATORY WASTE BIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: AN INOPERATIVE SMOKE DETECTOR IN THE LAVATORY, THE MANUFACTURER'S INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, AND INADEQUATE REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A PASSENGER HAD DISCARDED A CIGARETTE BEFORE LEAVING THE LAVATORY. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT FOUND SMOKE ISSUING FROM THE WASTE BIN AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT OF SMOKE OR FIRE. A LATER CHECK OF THE SMOKE DETECTOR SHOWED IT DID NOT ACTIVATE WHEN SMOKE WAS GENERATED IN THE LAVATORY. THE OPERATOR ADHERED TO THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM; THE PROGRAM CONTAINED NO PROCEDURE OR INTERVAL FOR CLEANING SMOKE DETECTORS OR DUCTING. THERE WAS NO OPERATIONAL TEST WHICH DEMOSTRATED A DETECTOR COULD SENSE SMOKE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.