Narrative:

During cruise flight at FL330 while en route from tus-stl, a relatively strong electrical overheat (smell) was noted in the cockpit with no accompanying smoke. No system malfunction was noted, such as an electrical overload. No circuit breakers had popped open. A cabin inspection revealed no malfunction of any cabin system and no appearance of smoke or haze was apparent. With problem confined to cockpit, and no system overheat or malfunction readily apparent. Smoke removal procedure were not initiated problem appeared to be isolated to rear of F/east panel location. Further inspection of this area revealed no unusual occurrence, ATC company dispatch and company maintenance were advised of problem. With odor waning and waxing at times, and with the proximity to land at a suitable airport being about equal distant, (mci or stl) a decision was made by me to proceed to destination airport stl. While en route to stl and expecting some arrival delay, I for the aforementioned reasons requested prompt or expeditious arrival routing by ATC. ATC complied. At no time did I feel that the safety of passenger or crew was in any way compromised. I did, however, think it prudent to land the aircraft as soon as practical to avoid any exposure to a possible deteriorating situation all actions were deliberated and judicious on the part of the entire crew. The ensuing landing as taxi to the gate was uneventful. The aircraft was not evacuated, passenger deplaned through the loading bridge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LGT ACR NOTICES ELECTRICAL OVERHEAT SMELL WHILE AT CRUISE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT AT FL330 WHILE ENRTE FROM TUS-STL, A RELATIVELY STRONG ELECTRICAL OVERHEAT (SMELL) WAS NOTED IN THE COCKPIT WITH NO ACCOMPANYING SMOKE. NO SYS MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED, SUCH AS AN ELECTRICAL OVERLOAD. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD POPPED OPEN. A CABIN INSPECTION REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION OF ANY CABIN SYS AND NO APPEARANCE OF SMOKE OR HAZE WAS APPARENT. WITH PROBLEM CONFINED TO COCKPIT, AND NO SYS OVERHEAT OR MALFUNCTION READILY APPARENT. SMOKE REMOVAL PROC WERE NOT INITIATED PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE ISOLATED TO REAR OF F/E PANEL LOCATION. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THIS AREA REVEALED NO UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE, ATC COMPANY DISPATCH AND COMPANY MAINT WERE ADVISED OF PROBLEM. WITH ODOR WANING AND WAXING AT TIMES, AND WITH THE PROX TO LAND AT A SUITABLE ARPT BEING ABOUT EQUAL DISTANT, (MCI OR STL) A DECISION WAS MADE BY ME TO PROCEED TO DEST ARPT STL. WHILE ENRTE TO STL AND EXPECTING SOME ARR DELAY, I FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED REASONS REQUESTED PROMPT OR EXPEDITIOUS ARR ROUTING BY ATC. ATC COMPLIED. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL THAT THE SAFETY OF PAX OR CREW WAS IN ANY WAY COMPROMISED. I DID, HOWEVER, THINK IT PRUDENT TO LAND THE ACFT AS SOON AS PRACTICAL TO AVOID ANY EXPOSURE TO A POSSIBLE DETERIORATING SITUATION ALL ACTIONS WERE DELIBERATED AND JUDICIOUS ON THE PART OF THE ENTIRE CREW. THE ENSUING LNDG AS TAXI TO THE GATE WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ACFT WAS NOT EVACUATED, PAX DEPLANED THROUGH THE LOADING BRIDGE.

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.