Narrative:

After about a few mins in the climb out, passing 3500 ft, I heard a loud bang. I immediately looked at the engine indications, both engines were normal. A few seconds after the noise, the red lav smoke warning light came on. The captain requested the epc procedure and I complied. The flight attendant called us and informed us that the cabin was getting filled with what appeared to be smoke. The captain then asked me to declare an emergency, and request ATC, to return to the field, I complied. I then advised the passenger to remain seated with their seat belts fastened because we are returning to the airport to land. I also, assured the passenger that the situation is under control. On short final (about 1000 ft AGL) the red warning bleed leak 2 came on, I looked up at the respective engine bleed button which indicated the red leak light. I immediately, and simultaneously, informed the captain and shut off engine bleed 2 (red light extinguished). The before landing checks were completed the captain performed a very smooth landing. The aircraft was stopped at the runway, after the flight attendant informed us the situation was under control, I contacted tower and requested to clear the runway and taxi to the gate. We taxied to the gate with crash fire rescue equipment escort. The after landing checks were completed. Tower told us to hold position on the ramp because our gate was occupied. The flight attendant called us and said that the cabin was again filling with smoke and that the rear of the cabin was extremely hot. In the meantime, I contacted tower and requested a gate immediately to deplane. The tower did not have one available. The captain at that point ordered the flight attendant to evacuate the passenger from all exits. The captain and I then completed the evacuation checklist. We then assisted the remaining passenger on board to evacuate the aircraft. An airline pilot who was occupying the jumpseat also assisted in the evacuation. The fire fighting team came on board and used specific instruments that sensed extreme temperature in the rear of the aircraft. They asked me if they can use their axes to break in the rear cabin in attempt to get to the heat source, I asked them if there was an alternative option ot minimize aircraft damage. They said yes, if a maintenance crew could be called in to help them open the area in question. I think the noise, and what appeared to be smoke, was due to a bleed duct that broke off below the rear cabin floor panel and near the lav. The smoke was reported as feather like insulation that dispersed in to the cabin which appeared as smoke. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the lavatory smoke warning and the #2 bleed leak warning was a broken air conditioning duct that had conditioned hot air. The reporter said the conditioned air was hot, but not at engine bleed air temperature. The reporter stated the back wall insulation was a white material which was blown into the aft cabin and appeared to be smoke. The reporter said the airplane was evacuated due to no gates available and with only one minor injury and the injured person refused treatment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 145 ON CLBOUT AT 3500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOUD BANG, #2 BLEED LEAK WARNING AND REPORTED SMOKE IN CABIN.

Narrative: AFTER ABOUT A FEW MINS IN THE CLIMB OUT, PASSING 3500 FT, I HEARD A LOUD BANG. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE ENGINE INDICATIONS, BOTH ENGINES WERE NORMAL. A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE NOISE, THE RED LAV SMOKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAPT REQUESTED THE EPC PROC AND I COMPLIED. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED US AND INFORMED US THAT THE CABIN WAS GETTING FILLED WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMOKE. THE CAPT THEN ASKED ME TO DECLARE AN EMER, AND REQUEST ATC, TO RETURN TO THE FIELD, I COMPLIED. I THEN ADVISED THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED WITH THEIR SEAT BELTS FASTENED BECAUSE WE ARE RETURNING TO THE ARPT TO LAND. I ALSO, ASSURED THE PAX THAT THE SIT IS UNDER CONTROL. ON SHORT FINAL (ABOUT 1000 FT AGL) THE RED WARNING BLEED LEAK 2 CAME ON, I LOOKED UP AT THE RESPECTIVE ENGINE BLEED BUTTON WHICH INDICATED THE RED LEAK LIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY, INFORMED THE CAPT AND SHUT OFF ENGINE BLEED 2 (RED LIGHT EXTINGUISHED). THE BEFORE LNDG CHKS WERE COMPLETED THE CAPT PERFORMED A VERY SMOOTH LNDG. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AT THE RWY, AFTER THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THE SIT WAS UNDER CONTROL, I CONTACTED TWR AND REQUESTED TO CLR THE RWY AND TAXI TO THE GATE. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH CFR ESCORT. THE AFTER LNDG CHKS WERE COMPLETED. TWR TOLD US TO HOLD POS ON THE RAMP BECAUSE OUR GATE WAS OCCUPIED. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED US AND SAID THAT THE CABIN WAS AGAIN FILLING WITH SMOKE AND THAT THE REAR OF THE CABIN WAS EXTREMELY HOT. IN THE MEANTIME, I CONTACTED TWR AND REQUESTED A GATE IMMEDIATELY TO DEPLANE. THE TWR DID NOT HAVE ONE AVAILABLE. THE CAPT AT THAT POINT ORDERED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO EVACUATE THE PAX FROM ALL EXITS. THE CAPT AND I THEN COMPLETED THE EVACUATION CHKLIST. WE THEN ASSISTED THE REMAINING PAX ON BOARD TO EVACUATE THE ACFT. AN AIRLINE PLT WHO WAS OCCUPYING THE JUMPSEAT ALSO ASSISTED IN THE EVACUATION. THE FIRE FIGHTING TEAM CAME ON BOARD AND USED SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTS THAT SENSED EXTREME TEMP IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. THEY ASKED ME IF THEY CAN USE THEIR AXES TO BREAK IN THE REAR CABIN IN ATTEMPT TO GET TO THE HEAT SOURCE, I ASKED THEM IF THERE WAS AN ALTERNATIVE OPTION OT MINIMIZE ACFT DAMAGE. THEY SAID YES, IF A MAINT CREW COULD BE CALLED IN TO HELP THEM OPEN THE AREA IN QUESTION. I THINK THE NOISE, AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMOKE, WAS DUE TO A BLEED DUCT THAT BROKE OFF BELOW THE REAR CABIN FLOOR PANEL AND NEAR THE LAV. THE SMOKE WAS RPTED AS FEATHER LIKE INSULATION THAT DISPERSED IN TO THE CABIN WHICH APPEARED AS SMOKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE LAVATORY SMOKE WARNING AND THE #2 BLEED LEAK WARNING WAS A BROKEN AIR CONDITIONING DUCT THAT HAD CONDITIONED HOT AIR. THE RPTR SAID THE CONDITIONED AIR WAS HOT, BUT NOT AT ENG BLEED AIR TEMP. THE RPTR STATED THE BACK WALL INSULATION WAS A WHITE MATERIAL WHICH WAS BLOWN INTO THE AFT CABIN AND APPEARED TO BE SMOKE. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS EVACUATED DUE TO NO GATES AVAILABLE AND WITH ONLY ONE MINOR INJURY AND THE INJURED PERSON REFUSED TREATMENT.

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.