The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Sri Lanka is investigating a smoke and fumes event involving Airbus A330-300, 4R-ALQ, 60 NM north-west of Melbourne Airport, Victoria, on 12 February 2024.
During climb, the crew detected smoke and fumes in the flight deck and cabin. The flight crew donned oxygen masks, carried out the smoke removal checklist, and declared a MAYDAY. The crew returned the aircraft to Melbourne and conducted an overweight landing. There were no injuries.
The engineering inspection revealed an air cycle machine (ACM) had failed, with metal debris identified in the ACM duct.
The CAA has requested assistance and the appointment of an accredited representative from the ATSB. To facilitate this support and to provide the appropriate protections for the information, the ATSB appointed an accredited representative in accordance with paragraph 5.23 of the International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 13 and commenced an investigation under the Australian Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003.
Any enquiries relating to the investigation should be directed to the CAA of Sri Lanka.