Canadair CL-600-2B19 incident near Colorado Spring, Colorado, April 17, 2004
On April 17, 2004 at about 8:55 pm local time, a Canadair CL-600-2B19, registered N17231, suffered minor damage in an incident near Colorado Spring, Colorado (Colorado Springs Municipal airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 53 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failed air conditioning fan by-pass check valve and the subsequent overtemperature of the air conditioning pack.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2004 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Spring, Colorado · Colorado Springs Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 53 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL-600-2B19 · all CL-600-2B19s on the register
- Registration
- N17231 · no longer on the register · serial 7231
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain said that while taxiing to the gate after landing, the flight attendant reported that there was smoke in the cabin. The captain said he called the flight attendant back to get more details. The flight attendant told him the cabin was full of smoke. The captain stopped the airplane, set the parking brake, and ordered the airplane evacuated. The passengers and crew evacuated the airplane. The flight attendant described the smoke as blue in color and smelling like burning oil. An examination of the airplane showed that a fan by-pass check valve in the right air conditioning pact failed causing the air conditioning pack to overheat.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,409 hours in all; 2,782 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 11, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 70 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,338 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 30, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 53,000 lb
- Seats: 53
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF34-3B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF34-3B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Airlines, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 6:40 pm
- Destination: COS Colorado Spring CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 13,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 25 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from COS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 50 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.