Air carrier medium large transport flight crew experiences smoke in cockpit.

Attributes
ACN	181612
Time
Date	199106
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : buf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
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 : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	181612
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

FL290 over buf heard very loud 'cracking' sound in cockpit. Saw dense smoke coming from center instrument panel above radar. Donned oxy masks, gave aircraft to first officer to fly, completed 'electrical smoke/fire checklist, cockpit smoke removal checklist' and began descent to divert to buf (original destination was bdl). Suspected that radar may have been cause of smoke. Turned off radar. Completed 'restoring electrical buses checklist' and restored complete electrical power west/O causing smoke to reappear. Had already declared emergency and asked crash and rescue crews to follow us to the gate after landing in case problem reoccurred. Completed descent, approach and landing checks. Made normal landing, taxied to gate, and deplaned passengers through forward airstairs. No injuries to passengers or crew reported. No known damage to aircraft, except for whichever component caused smoke in first place (suspect radar). The F/as did an excellent job of preparing cabin and passengers for the emergency landing. Passengers remained in their seats until we instructed them to make a normal, orderly exit. The F/as maintained control in the cabin in a difficult situation. First officer did excellent job of flying aircraft in descent, approach and landing so I could handle the emergency and run checklists and talk to ATC. All crew members completed their required duties in the short time allowed to do so. Smoke in the cockpit in flight gets your attention in a hurry. We were concerned about the possibility of an in-flight fire. However, our performance of the 'electrical smoke/fire checklist' apparently removed power from the source of the smoke before the situation could get any worse. This experience makes me appreciate the excellent training and procedures given to our medium large transport pilots and to our F/as. You never know when those yrs and yrs of practicing emergency procedures in the simulator are going to pay-off. They paid off for us at 29000' over buf.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLC EXPERIENCES SMOKE IN COCKPIT.

Narrative: FL290 OVER BUF HEARD VERY LOUD 'CRACKING' SOUND IN COCKPIT. SAW DENSE SMOKE COMING FROM CTR INSTRUMENT PANEL ABOVE RADAR. DONNED OXY MASKS, GAVE ACFT TO F/O TO FLY, COMPLETED 'ELECTRICAL SMOKE/FIRE CHKLIST, COCKPIT SMOKE REMOVAL CHKLIST' AND BEGAN DSNT TO DIVERT TO BUF (ORIGINAL DEST WAS BDL). SUSPECTED THAT RADAR MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSE OF SMOKE. TURNED OFF RADAR. COMPLETED 'RESTORING ELECTRICAL BUSES CHKLIST' AND RESTORED COMPLETE ELECTRICAL PWR W/O CAUSING SMOKE TO REAPPEAR. HAD ALREADY DECLARED EMER AND ASKED CRASH AND RESCUE CREWS TO FOLLOW US TO THE GATE AFTER LNDG IN CASE PROB REOCCURRED. COMPLETED DSNT, APCH AND LNDG CHKS. MADE NORMAL LNDG, TAXIED TO GATE, AND DEPLANED PAXS THROUGH FORWARD AIRSTAIRS. NO INJURIES TO PAXS OR CREW RPTED. NO KNOWN DAMAGE TO ACFT, EXCEPT FOR WHICHEVER COMPONENT CAUSED SMOKE IN FIRST PLACE (SUSPECT RADAR). THE F/AS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PREPARING CABIN AND PAXS FOR THE EMER LNDG. PAXS REMAINED IN THEIR SEATS UNTIL WE INSTRUCTED THEM TO MAKE A NORMAL, ORDERLY EXIT. THE F/AS MAINTAINED CTL IN THE CABIN IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION. F/O DID EXCELLENT JOB OF FLYING ACFT IN DSNT, APCH AND LNDG SO I COULD HANDLE THE EMER AND RUN CHKLISTS AND TALK TO ATC. ALL CREW MEMBERS COMPLETED THEIR REQUIRED DUTIES IN THE SHORT TIME ALLOWED TO DO SO. SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT IN FLT GETS YOUR ATTN IN A HURRY. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INFLT FIRE. HOWEVER, OUR PERFORMANCE OF THE 'ELECTRICAL SMOKE/FIRE CHKLIST' APPARENTLY REMOVED PWR FROM THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE BEFORE THE SITUATION COULD GET ANY WORSE. THIS EXPERIENCE MAKES ME APPRECIATE THE EXCELLENT TRNING AND PROCS GIVEN TO OUR MLG PLTS AND TO OUR F/AS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THOSE YRS AND YRS OF PRACTICING EMER PROCS IN THE SIMULATOR ARE GOING TO PAY-OFF. THEY PAID OFF FOR US AT 29000' OVER BUF.

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.