Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport smelled smoke after level off. Cabin attendants co...

Attributes
ACN	127334
Time
Date	198910
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rap
State Reference	SD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 30000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	127334
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departed rapid city airport in 10/89. In our climb phase of flight around FL290, we smelled smoke. Shortly after that we saw smoke in the cockpit. We checked with the F/a's to see if they had the same problem in the back. They did. We asked them to check quickly if we had any galley problems or lav problems that they could identify. They said they did not. At that time we declared an emergency and started our return to rapid city airport, since that was the nearest airport. We did the emergency's pertaining to electrical smoke (which we believe we had) and fire, and the other lists that pertained to our situation at that time. We had to wear our O2 masks at this time because of the smoke. We removed all but essential electric from the airplane and operated the rest of the flight with standby power. The smoke stopped during our descent and the air cleared up. The landing was as normal as can be, with us operating with standby electric. After landing we moved onto the taxiway and set the brakes to wait for the emergency equipment to catch up to us and look us over. About this time the F/a called and said the smoke was starting to return into the cabin. At this time we evacuated the airplane. This was done in about 30 seconds with no injuries. We completed all the associated checklists and helped with the evacuate/evacuation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the problem could not be solved at rap so the aircraft was ferried to a maintenance base. Maintenance found damage to air conditioning pack overheat sensors that allowed excess temperature to be developed, but did not give cockpit warning where the problem was located. The problem happened several days later to the same aircraft so apparent overheat sensing was not the full problem, but the reporter does not know what additional action was taken by maintenance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ACR MLG SMELLED SMOKE AFTER LEVEL OFF. CABIN ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED SMOKE IN THE CABIN, SO EMERGENCY DECLARED RETURN LAND. SMOKE DIMINISHED DURING DESCENT BUT STARTED UP AGAIN AFTERLNDG SO ACFT WAS EVACUATED.

Narrative: DEPARTED RAPID CITY ARPT IN 10/89. IN OUR CLB PHASE OF FLT AROUND FL290, WE SMELLED SMOKE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE SAW SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. WE CHKED WITH THE F/A'S TO SEE IF THEY HAD THE SAME PROB IN THE BACK. THEY DID. WE ASKED THEM TO CHK QUICKLY IF WE HAD ANY GALLEY PROBS OR LAV PROBS THAT THEY COULD IDENT. THEY SAID THEY DID NOT. AT THAT TIME WE DECLARED AN EMER AND STARTED OUR RETURN TO RAPID CITY ARPT, SINCE THAT WAS THE NEAREST ARPT. WE DID THE EMER'S PERTAINING TO ELECTRICAL SMOKE (WHICH WE BELIEVE WE HAD) AND FIRE, AND THE OTHER LISTS THAT PERTAINED TO OUR SITUATION AT THAT TIME. WE HAD TO WEAR OUR O2 MASKS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE SMOKE. WE REMOVED ALL BUT ESSENTIAL ELECTRIC FROM THE AIRPLANE AND OPERATED THE REST OF THE FLT WITH STANDBY PWR. THE SMOKE STOPPED DURING OUR DSCNT AND THE AIR CLRED UP. THE LNDG WAS AS NORMAL AS CAN BE, WITH US OPERATING WITH STANDBY ELECTRIC. AFTER LNDG WE MOVED ONTO THE TXWY AND SET THE BRAKES TO WAIT FOR THE EMER EQUIP TO CATCH UP TO US AND LOOK US OVER. ABOUT THIS TIME THE F/A CALLED AND SAID THE SMOKE WAS STARTING TO RETURN INTO THE CABIN. AT THIS TIME WE EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE. THIS WAS DONE IN ABOUT 30 SECS WITH NO INJURIES. WE COMPLETED ALL THE ASSOCIATED CHKLISTS AND HELPED WITH THE EVAC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE PROB COULD NOT BE SOLVED AT RAP SO THE ACFT WAS FERRIED TO A MAINT BASE. MAINT FOUND DAMAGE TO AIR CONDITIONING PACK OVERHEAT SENSORS THAT ALLOWED EXCESS TEMPERATURE TO BE DEVELOPED, BUT DID NOT GIVE COCKPIT WARNING WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS LOCATED. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED SEVERAL DAYS LATER TO THE SAME ACFT SO APPARENT OVERHEAT SENSING WAS NOT THE FULL PROB, BUT THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT ADDITIONAL ACTION WAS TAKEN BY MAINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport smelled smoke after level off. Cabin attendants confirmed smoke in the cabin, so emergency declared return land. Smoke diminished during descent but started up again afterlndg so aircraft was evacuated.