Narrative:

During climb a loud thump was heard, followed by loss of cabin attendant pressure. Then baggage compartment smoke warning, lav smoke and number 2 bleed leak. Carried out memory actions and emergency procedures checklist. Declared an emergency and returned to ZZZ. Post flight found a bleed line fitting had failed (located behind compartment inner wall) allowing hot bleed air to enter the compartment and cause heat damage to the baggage (possible source of smoke warnings). This aircraft type is subject to an ad notice concerning this type of failure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the incident was a pneumatic duct connector clamp that failed causing the ducts to separate and tear off the cargo compartment sidewall liner. The reporter stated the ducting is located between the compartment sidewall liner and the fuselage skin. The reporter said the hot pressurized air caused a suitcase to melt and trigger the smoke alarm which required the extinguisher agent to be fired. The reporter stated this duct connector clamp is the subject of an airworthiness directive and this is the second incident involving the reporter and two other failures are known. The reporter said air discharging from the cabin attendant and cargo compartment was forced out the stabilizer anti-ice ducting overboard vents and carried clothing from the cargo compartment up the separated ducting. The reporter stated the pneumatic ducting is also routed through the electronics compartment located aft of the cargo compartment and in addition to various electronic components contains 4 engine full authority digital electronic controls, 2 for each engine. The reporter said there is no direct manual control of the engine fuel controls only electronic control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A EMBRAER 145 IN CLB DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO A PNEUMATIC DUCT CLAMP FAILURE IN THE REAR CARGO COMPARTMENT.

Narrative: DURING CLB A LOUD THUMP WAS HEARD, FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF CAB PRESSURE. THEN BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT SMOKE WARNING, LAV SMOKE AND NUMBER 2 BLEED LEAK. CARRIED OUT MEMORY ACTIONS AND EMER PROCS CHKLIST. DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO ZZZ. POST FLT FOUND A BLEED LINE FITTING HAD FAILED (LOCATED BEHIND COMPARTMENT INNER WALL) ALLOWING HOT BLEED AIR TO ENTER THE COMPARTMENT AND CAUSE HEAT DAMAGE TO THE BAGGAGE (POSSIBLE SOURCE OF SMOKE WARNINGS). THIS ACFT TYPE IS SUBJECT TO AN AD NOTICE CONCERNING THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS A PNEUMATIC DUCT CONNECTOR CLAMP THAT FAILED CAUSING THE DUCTS TO SEPARATE AND TEAR OFF THE CARGO COMPARTMENT SIDEWALL LINER. THE RPTR STATED THE DUCTING IS LOCATED BTWN THE COMPARTMENT SIDEWALL LINER AND THE FUSELAGE SKIN. THE RPTR SAID THE HOT PRESSURIZED AIR CAUSED A SUITCASE TO MELT AND TRIGGER THE SMOKE ALARM WHICH REQUIRED THE EXTINGUISHER AGENT TO BE FIRED. THE RPTR STATED THIS DUCT CONNECTOR CLAMP IS THE SUBJECT OF AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE AND THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT INVOLVING THE RPTR AND TWO OTHER FAILURES ARE KNOWN. THE RPTR SAID AIR DISCHARGING FROM THE CAB AND CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS FORCED OUT THE STABILIZER ANTI-ICE DUCTING OVERBOARD VENTS AND CARRIED CLOTHING FROM THE CARGO COMPARTMENT UP THE SEPARATED DUCTING. THE RPTR STATED THE PNEUMATIC DUCTING IS ALSO ROUTED THROUGH THE ELECTRONICS COMPARTMENT LOCATED AFT OF THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AND IN ADDITION TO VARIOUS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS CONTAINS 4 ENG FULL AUTHORITY DIGITAL ELECTRONIC CTLS, 2 FOR EACH ENG. THE RPTR SAID THERE IS NO DIRECT MANUAL CTL OF THE ENG FUEL CTLS ONLY ELECTRONIC CTL.

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.