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Cabin attendant reported what she thought was smoke coming out of the cabin vents as the aircraft was climbing out of msy. Emergency was declared as aircraft started to return to msy. Emergency cancelled when smoke was properly identification as water vapor from the AC packs operating in high humidity air.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 180999 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199106 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : msy |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : msy tower : msy |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 73 flight time total : 12230 flight time type : 7796 |
| ASRS Report | 180999 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4600 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 181000 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was the captain and PF when we took off on runway 19 from new orleans. Climbing on runway heading through 1000' MSL, we heard the 3 chime emergency signal from the cbin and the second officer answered the interphone. A F/a reported smoke coming up from the inside lower right sidewall area of the cabin, and that it smelled like something might be burning. Since all 4 F/as were well experienced, we took it to be a fire. The first officer informed departure control that smoke had been reported in the cabin and requested a left turn downwind to return for an immediate landing. Departure control switched us back to tower, who cleared us for a visibility approach to runway 19 and informed us that 'the fire trucks were rolling.' we proceeded with this plan while discussing fuel dumping over lake pontchatrain. The approach would put us over the lake for the few mins needed to dump fuel. I was not yet fully convinced that we had a fire, but I wanted to be in position to land as soon as possible. Before we reached the lake, the F/a in charge informed us that it was not smoke, but condensation from the a/C system. She further stated that none of the passengers showed any concern over the situation. I then decided that we should continue the flight to atlanta west/O further delay. We explained to the tower and were cleared to continue. The second officer made a PA to the passengers. He also contacted the maintenance coordinator to have the a/C system checked in atlanta. It proved to be normal. Supplemental information from acn 181000. The problem was caused by the F/a's mistake. She erred on the conservative side, though. All who observed this incident are reminded of the effects of heavy humidity in a/C packs. Supplemental information from acn 181283. Maintenance in atl ran both packs to full hot to evaporate excess moisture and said this was a normal occurrence.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAB REPORTED WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE CABIN VENTS AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING OUT OF MSY. EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AS ACFT STARTED TO RETURN TO MSY. EMERGENCY CANCELLED WHEN SMOKE WAS PROPERLY ID AS WATER VAPOR FROM THE AC PACKS OPERATING IN HIGH HUMIDITY AIR.
Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT AND PF WHEN WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 19 FROM NEW ORLEANS. CLBING ON RWY HDG THROUGH 1000' MSL, WE HEARD THE 3 CHIME EMER SIGNAL FROM THE CBIN AND THE S/O ANSWERED THE INTERPHONE. A F/A RPTED SMOKE COMING UP FROM THE INSIDE LOWER R SIDEWALL AREA OF THE CABIN, AND THAT IT SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING MIGHT BE BURNING. SINCE ALL 4 F/AS WERE WELL EXPERIENCED, WE TOOK IT TO BE A FIRE. THE F/O INFORMED DEP CTL THAT SMOKE HAD BEEN RPTED IN THE CABIN AND REQUESTED A L TURN DOWNWIND TO RETURN FOR AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. DEP CTL SWITCHED US BACK TO TWR, WHO CLRED US FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 19 AND INFORMED US THAT 'THE FIRE TRUCKS WERE ROLLING.' WE PROCEEDED WITH THIS PLAN WHILE DISCUSSING FUEL DUMPING OVER LAKE PONTCHATRAIN. THE APCH WOULD PUT US OVER THE LAKE FOR THE FEW MINS NEEDED TO DUMP FUEL. I WAS NOT YET FULLY CONVINCED THAT WE HAD A FIRE, BUT I WANTED TO BE IN POS TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BEFORE WE REACHED THE LAKE, THE F/A IN CHARGE INFORMED US THAT IT WAS NOT SMOKE, BUT CONDENSATION FROM THE A/C SYS. SHE FURTHER STATED THAT NONE OF THE PAXS SHOWED ANY CONCERN OVER THE SITUATION. I THEN DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE THE FLT TO ATLANTA W/O FURTHER DELAY. WE EXPLAINED TO THE TWR AND WERE CLRED TO CONTINUE. THE S/O MADE A PA TO THE PAXS. HE ALSO CONTACTED THE MAINT COORDINATOR TO HAVE THE A/C SYS CHKED IN ATLANTA. IT PROVED TO BE NORMAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 181000. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY THE F/A'S MISTAKE. SHE ERRED ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE, THOUGH. ALL WHO OBSERVED THIS INCIDENT ARE REMINDED OF THE EFFECTS OF HVY HUMIDITY IN A/C PACKS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 181283. MAINT IN ATL RAN BOTH PACKS TO FULL HOT TO EVAPORATE EXCESS MOISTURE AND SAID THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE.
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.