EMB120 cockpit and cabin fills with smoke during departure climb due to the first officer inadvertently closing the ram air switch causing the air conditioning packs to overheat.

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Attributes
ACN	456587
Time
Date	199912
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 119
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	456587
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : smoke in cockpit and cabin other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After departure, smoke and haze filled cockpit and cabin. Source was determined to be from air conditioning pack which was overheating. Cause of overheat was from ram air switch which was inadvertently moved to the open position. Captain is line check airman executing IOE on first flight of first officer! First officer total hours approximately 1200 with 3 hours in type! Lack of experience of first officer was cause of switch mis-position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 COCKPIT AND CABIN FILLS WITH SMOKE DURING DEP CLB DUE TO THE FO INADVERTENTLY CLOSING THE RAM AIR SWITCH CAUSING THE AIR CONDITIONING PACKS TO OVERHEAT.

Narrative: AFTER DEP, SMOKE AND HAZE FILLED COCKPIT AND CABIN. SOURCE WAS DETERMINED TO BE FROM AIR CONDITIONING PACK WHICH WAS OVERHEATING. CAUSE OF OVERHEAT WAS FROM RAM AIR SWITCH WHICH WAS INADVERTENTLY MOVED TO THE OPEN POS. CAPT IS LINE CHK AIRMAN EXECUTING IOE ON FIRST FLT OF FO! FO TOTAL HRS APPROX 1200 WITH 3 HRS IN TYPE! LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF FO WAS CAUSE OF SWITCH MIS-POS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.