Narrative:

At FL260 smoke from an unknown source filled the cockpit. An emergency landing was then made at bwi. The equipment provided is inadequate for the job. The goggles that are provided to prevent eye contamination create an illusion of tunnel vision and hinder peripheral vision to the point that the normal visual cues of body language present in a multi-crew environment are almost non existent. In addition to burden of the goggles is the interphone communications set up. Namely the radio panel. Every time a crew member changes the address of his communications he must 're-key' the audio panel. The majority of communications being inter-crew, causes this to be a major cause of confusion. In this situation I cannot count the number of times that inter-crew communications had to be repeated due to the crew member transmitting not having his microphone keyed to the proper setting. It would be nice to have a 'voice activated' microphone in the oxygen mask alleviating the necessity of re-keying for inter-crew communications. Supplemental information from acn 132673: the problems I felt contributed to our difficulties were: the O2 mask required a push to talk feature. A hot microphone feature would have been a great asset. The smoke goggles distorted my vision and blocked all peripheral vision. Very frustrating. No one on the ground was really prepared to help the passenger. We had to wait 45 mins for busses to get out of the 36 degree air and wet ground. Callback conversation with reporter, acn 132655, revealed the following: the smoke appeared suddenly and was quite heavy. I did not take time to smell or wait to see if it affected my eyes. With the cabin attendants all calling to advise the smoke was heavy in the cabin I made an instant decision to go into bwi and did not remove the goggles or mask until on the ground. Communication in the cockpit was extremely difficult. The goggles completely distorted my vision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEAVY SMOKE APPEARED IN CABIN AND COCKPIT. EMERGENCY DESCENT AND LNDG WAS MADE AT BWI.

Narrative: AT FL260 SMOKE FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE FILLED THE COCKPIT. AN EMER LNDG WAS THEN MADE AT BWI. THE EQUIPMENT PROVIDED IS INADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. THE GOGGLES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO PREVENT EYE CONTAMINATION CREATE AN ILLUSION OF TUNNEL VISION AND HINDER PERIPHERAL VISION TO THE POINT THAT THE NORMAL VISUAL CUES OF BODY LANGUAGE PRESENT IN A MULTI-CREW ENVIRONMENT ARE ALMOST NON EXISTENT. IN ADDITION TO BURDEN OF THE GOGGLES IS THE INTERPHONE COMS SET UP. NAMELY THE RADIO PANEL. EVERY TIME A CREW MEMBER CHANGES THE ADDRESS OF HIS COMS HE MUST 'RE-KEY' THE AUDIO PANEL. THE MAJORITY OF COMS BEING INTER-CREW, CAUSES THIS TO BE A MAJOR CAUSE OF CONFUSION. IN THIS SITUATION I CANNOT COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT INTER-CREW COMS HAD TO BE REPEATED DUE TO THE CREW MEMBER TRANSMITTING NOT HAVING HIS MICROPHONE KEYED TO THE PROPER SETTING. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A 'VOICE ACTIVATED' MICROPHONE IN THE OXYGEN MASK ALLEVIATING THE NECESSITY OF RE-KEYING FOR INTER-CREW COMS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 132673: THE PROBLEMS I FELT CONTRIBUTED TO OUR DIFFICULTIES WERE: THE O2 MASK REQUIRED A PUSH TO TALK FEATURE. A HOT MICROPHONE FEATURE WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT ASSET. THE SMOKE GOGGLES DISTORTED MY VISION AND BLOCKED ALL PERIPHERAL VISION. VERY FRUSTRATING. NO ONE ON THE GND WAS REALLY PREPARED TO HELP THE PAX. WE HAD TO WAIT 45 MINS FOR BUSSES TO GET OUT OF THE 36 DEG AIR AND WET GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER, ACN 132655, REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE SMOKE APPEARED SUDDENLY AND WAS QUITE HEAVY. I DID NOT TAKE TIME TO SMELL OR WAIT TO SEE IF IT AFFECTED MY EYES. WITH THE CABIN ATTENDANTS ALL CALLING TO ADVISE THE SMOKE WAS HEAVY IN THE CABIN I MADE AN INSTANT DECISION TO GO INTO BWI AND DID NOT REMOVE THE GOGGLES OR MASK UNTIL ON THE GND. COM IN THE COCKPIT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THE GOGGLES COMPLETELY DISTORTED MY VISION.

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