Medium large transport experiences smoke and EICAS warning and finally diverts to alternate airport....

Attributes
ACN	215795
Time
Date	199207
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zau
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7300 flight time type : 275
ASRS Report	215795
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Flight departed msp 43 mins late. Aircraft, an medium large transport, came from hangar where APU had just been replaced due to previous complaints of fumes in aircraft. Shortly after takeoff, cockpit crew noticed unidentifiable odor. We considered cooking food, hot packs, and oil fumes in ducting (due to aircraft history). System were normal and odor seemed to dissipate. Climbing through FL240 we got a lavatory smoke warning and ECAM message. The lead flight attendant reported that there were some fumes in the cabin but no smoke or fire. We followed our communication procedures and the copilot went back to visually check the lavatory. We leveled FL260. The warning quickly cleared itself and the status page read 'normal.' the flight attendants and copilot felt that the air was clearing. We decided that the recent APU change was responsible for the smell and continued to dtw. We received a second lavatory smoke warning after reaching cruise altitude. The flight attendant reported that the smell was becoming noxious and irritating. We requested clearance to mke, 70 mi to our east. In checking the system, we found the left to be running significantly hotter than the right pack (although still in the normal range) and decided to turn it off. The odor again seemed to dissipate, however, after discussing the situation with dispatch and maintenance control, diverting to mke seemed to be the most prudent course of action. An uneventful approach and landing were made in mke. Mke maintenance inspected the associated system and decided that the left pack was the cause of the fumes. The pack was MEL'd and placarded. We departed to dtw with a single pack operating. The flight was routine with only a slight residual odor in the cockpit. Upon arrival at the gate, the flight attendants reported that the fumes were still present and irritating in the cabin. Maintenance was informed that the problem still existed. An oil leak was found in the APU and the aircraft was towed to the hangar for repair.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG EXPERIENCES SMOKE AND EICAS WARNING AND FINALLY DIVERTS TO ALTERNATE ARPT. MEL CONSIDERATIONS ACTIVATED AND FLT CONTINUES TO DEST ARPT WHERE SOME SYMPTOMS ARE STILL EVIDENT. ACFT DIAGNOSED WITH MAINT DISCREPANCY OF LEAKING OIL FROM APU.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED MSP 43 MINS LATE. ACFT, AN MLG, CAME FROM HANGAR WHERE APU HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED DUE TO PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS OF FUMES IN ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, COCKPIT CREW NOTICED UNIDENTIFIABLE ODOR. WE CONSIDERED COOKING FOOD, HOT PACKS, AND OIL FUMES IN DUCTING (DUE TO ACFT HISTORY). SYS WERE NORMAL AND ODOR SEEMED TO DISSIPATE. CLBING THROUGH FL240 WE GOT A LAVATORY SMOKE WARNING AND ECAM MESSAGE. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THERE WERE SOME FUMES IN THE CABIN BUT NO SMOKE OR FIRE. WE FOLLOWED OUR COM PROCS AND THE COPLT WENT BACK TO VISUALLY CHK THE LAVATORY. WE LEVELED FL260. THE WARNING QUICKLY CLRED ITSELF AND THE STATUS PAGE READ 'NORMAL.' THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND COPLT FELT THAT THE AIR WAS CLRING. WE DECIDED THAT THE RECENT APU CHANGE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SMELL AND CONTINUED TO DTW. WE RECEIVED A SECOND LAVATORY SMOKE WARNING AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT. THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THE SMELL WAS BECOMING NOXIOUS AND IRRITATING. WE REQUESTED CLRNC TO MKE, 70 MI TO OUR E. IN CHKING THE SYS, WE FOUND THE L TO BE RUNNING SIGNIFICANTLY HOTTER THAN THE R PACK (ALTHOUGH STILL IN THE NORMAL RANGE) AND DECIDED TO TURN IT OFF. THE ODOR AGAIN SEEMED TO DISSIPATE, HOWEVER, AFTER DISCUSSING THE SITUATION WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL, DIVERTING TO MKE SEEMED TO BE THE MOST PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION. AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG WERE MADE IN MKE. MKE MAINT INSPECTED THE ASSOCIATED SYS AND DECIDED THAT THE L PACK WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FUMES. THE PACK WAS MEL'D AND PLACARDED. WE DEPARTED TO DTW WITH A SINGLE PACK OPERATING. THE FLT WAS ROUTINE WITH ONLY A SLIGHT RESIDUAL ODOR IN THE COCKPIT. UPON ARR AT THE GATE, THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT THE FUMES WERE STILL PRESENT AND IRRITATING IN THE CABIN. MAINT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. AN OIL LEAK WAS FOUND IN THE APU AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE HANGAR FOR REPAIR.

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.

Medium large transport experiences smoke and EICAS warning and finally diverts to alternate airport. MEL considerations activated and flight continues to destination airport where some symptoms are still evident. Aircraft diagnosed with maintenance discrepancy of leaking oil from APU.