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A DH8B flight crew noticed electrical arcing and sparking on the right propeller after takeoff. They declared an emergency and returned to land at departure airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 750957 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200708 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Dash 8-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 8050 flight time type : 280 |
| ASRS Report | 750957 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
At approximately 1500 ft AGL; after a night takeoff at ZZZ 'sparks' were observed on the right propeller by the cabin and first officer. We advised departure we were going to return to ZZZ to land and declared an emergency. We realized we would be landing over maximum landing weight so the first officer worked hard at and executed a soft touchdown. Postflt revealed the propeller heat had shorted and was arcing along the propeller. The first officer also noted the propeller heat had been selected on. It should not have been. The first officer was sure it was off at the conclusion of our previous flight. If that was the case it was turned on after start of the evening flight. The switch is identical to and in close proximity to the windshield heat switch; which does get turned on every flight. I may have turned on the wrong switch. However I distinctly remember turning on the windshield heat; and it was on. I have not been able to determine when the propeller heat was turned on or if it had been left on from the previous flight; something hindsight would normally let me do.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DH8B FLIGHT CREW NOTICED ELECTRICAL ARCING AND SPARKING ON THE RIGHT PROP AFTER TAKEOFF. THEY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO LAND AT DEPARTURE AIRPORT.
Narrative: AT APPROX 1500 FT AGL; AFTER A NIGHT TKOF AT ZZZ 'SPARKS' WERE OBSERVED ON THE R PROP BY THE CABIN AND FO. WE ADVISED DEP WE WERE GOING TO RETURN TO ZZZ TO LAND AND DECLARED AN EMER. WE REALIZED WE WOULD BE LNDG OVER MAX LNDG WT SO THE FO WORKED HARD AT AND EXECUTED A SOFT TOUCHDOWN. POSTFLT REVEALED THE PROP HEAT HAD SHORTED AND WAS ARCING ALONG THE PROP. THE FO ALSO NOTED THE PROP HEAT HAD BEEN SELECTED ON. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN. THE FO WAS SURE IT WAS OFF AT THE CONCLUSION OF OUR PREVIOUS FLT. IF THAT WAS THE CASE IT WAS TURNED ON AFTER START OF THE EVENING FLT. THE SWITCH IS IDENTICAL TO AND IN CLOSE PROX TO THE WINDSHIELD HEAT SWITCH; WHICH DOES GET TURNED ON EVERY FLT. I MAY HAVE TURNED ON THE WRONG SWITCH. HOWEVER I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER TURNING ON THE WINDSHIELD HEAT; AND IT WAS ON. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE PROP HEAT WAS TURNED ON OR IF IT HAD BEEN LEFT ON FROM THE PREVIOUS FLT; SOMETHING HINDSIGHT WOULD NORMALLY LET ME DO.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.