Narrative:

This widebody transport aircraft started to fill the cabin with smoke during taxi in after an uneventful flight and landing. A flight attendant notified the cockpit immediately after noticing, as we, the cockpit crew handled the problem. It was determined that the automatic temperature controller on the #2 air conditioning system had failed in the cruise mode, which prevented the ram air cooling doors from opening, overheating the #2 system and scorching some of the ducting, which produced the smoke. To correct the problem, the system was shut down, the cooling doors were opened manually and the remaining 2 air conditioning system were kept operating to aid in ventilation and smoke elimination. The captain ordered the emergency escape hatch in the cockpit to be opened and the cabin doors to be opened also, based on the situation, to aid in ventilation and smoke elimination. Also, we were within seconds from the gate, and knew what the problem was, so the captain had determined that an emergency ground evacuate/evacuation was not warranted. The first officer handled the radios, seeking input from ground and ramp control as to what they could see from their vantage point. First officer also requested firefighters. To aid in preventing something like this to happen, I will incorporate a xchk of the cooling door indicators to ensure they open during descent. Also, in a situation like ours, if smoke was in the cabin and the source known and corrected, cabin doors could be opened to ventilate and eliminate the smoke more rapidly, therefore, preventing an emergency ground evacuate/evacuation, which experience has shown that saves lives but also produces injuries. Supplemental information from acn 217659: as we approached the company ramp, a flight attendant called on interphone and told the so that a lavatory smoke alarm had gone off and that she was investigating. Shortly, we got another call advising us of smoke in the passenger cabin. The smoke was no obstruction to breathing or visibility. The captain made a PA advising people to keep in their seats and that we were aware of the problem. We asked for firefighters to meet us at the gate as a precaution. Supplemental information from acn 217787: the flight attendants stood by their doors in case evacuate/evacuation was necessary. All passenger were deplaned through L1 door in good spirits in less than 3 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMOKE IN CABIN AND COCKPIT. CHKLIST USE PERFORMED AS ACFT TAXIED TO GATE FOR PAX DEPLANING.

Narrative: THIS WDB ACFT STARTED TO FILL THE CABIN WITH SMOKE DURING TAXI IN AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT AND LNDG. A FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT IMMEDIATELY AFTER NOTICING, AS WE, THE COCKPIT CREW HANDLED THE PROBLEM. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TEMP CTLR ON THE #2 AIR CONDITIONING SYS HAD FAILED IN THE CRUISE MODE, WHICH PREVENTED THE RAM AIR COOLING DOORS FROM OPENING, OVERHEATING THE #2 SYS AND SCORCHING SOME OF THE DUCTING, WHICH PRODUCED THE SMOKE. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THE SYS WAS SHUT DOWN, THE COOLING DOORS WERE OPENED MANUALLY AND THE REMAINING 2 AIR CONDITIONING SYS WERE KEPT OPERATING TO AID IN VENTILATION AND SMOKE ELIMINATION. THE CAPT ORDERED THE EMER ESCAPE HATCH IN THE COCKPIT TO BE OPENED AND THE CABIN DOORS TO BE OPENED ALSO, BASED ON THE SITUATION, TO AID IN VENTILATION AND SMOKE ELIMINATION. ALSO, WE WERE WITHIN SECONDS FROM THE GATE, AND KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, SO THE CAPT HAD DETERMINED THAT AN EMER GND EVAC WAS NOT WARRANTED. THE FO HANDLED THE RADIOS, SEEKING INPUT FROM GND AND RAMP CTL AS TO WHAT THEY COULD SEE FROM THEIR VANTAGE POINT. FO ALSO REQUESTED FIREFIGHTERS. TO AID IN PREVENTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN, I WILL INCORPORATE A XCHK OF THE COOLING DOOR INDICATORS TO ENSURE THEY OPEN DURING DSCNT. ALSO, IN A SITUATION LIKE OURS, IF SMOKE WAS IN THE CABIN AND THE SOURCE KNOWN AND CORRECTED, CABIN DOORS COULD BE OPENED TO VENTILATE AND ELIMINATE THE SMOKE MORE RAPIDLY, THEREFORE, PREVENTING AN EMER GND EVAC, WHICH EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT SAVES LIVES BUT ALSO PRODUCES INJURIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 217659: AS WE APCHED THE COMPANY RAMP, A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ON INTERPHONE AND TOLD THE SO THAT A LAVATORY SMOKE ALARM HAD GONE OFF AND THAT SHE WAS INVESTIGATING. SHORTLY, WE GOT ANOTHER CALL ADVISING US OF SMOKE IN THE PAX CABIN. THE SMOKE WAS NO OBSTRUCTION TO BREATHING OR VISIBILITY. THE CAPT MADE A PA ADVISING PEOPLE TO KEEP IN THEIR SEATS AND THAT WE WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. WE ASKED FOR FIREFIGHTERS TO MEET US AT THE GATE AS A PRECAUTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 217787: THE FLT ATTENDANTS STOOD BY THEIR DOORS IN CASE EVAC WAS NECESSARY. ALL PAX WERE DEPLANED THROUGH L1 DOOR IN GOOD SPIRITS IN LESS THAN 3 MINS.

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.