Bombardier CL-600-2C10 accident near Austin, Texas, December 29, 2004
On December 29, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Bombardier CL-600-2C10, registered N506MJ, was involved in an accident near Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 59 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of an air conditioning pack, which resulted in a haze filling the cabin. A contributing factor was the failure of the passenger to follow evacuation instructions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · Austin-Bergstrom International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 59 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bombardier CL-600-2C10 · all CL-600-2C10s on the register
- Registration
- N506MJ · no longer on the register · serial 10073
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, both flight attendants observed a haze in the cabin. As the airplane rotated and began to climb, the haze thickened. At approximately 500 feet above ground level (agl), the smoke detector in the rear lavatory sounded, the "smoke toilet" message was displayed in the cockpit, and a strong odor of smoke was present. The captain declared an emergency and returned to the airport. According to a statement provided by the flight attendants, after a safe and uneventful landing, the captain ordered an emergency evacuation utilizing the airplane's four exits. A passenger exited the airplane through a window exit and fractured a bone in her right foot. Company maintenance personnel examined the airplane and "found that an air conditioning pack that had failed," which would have resulted in a haze in the cabin.
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: 5,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 72,500 lb
- Seats: 70
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF34-8C1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF34-8C1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Airlines, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 7:18 pm
- Destination: IAD Washington DC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from AUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 55 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N506MJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.