Narrative:

During climb out at approximately 25000 ft MSL began to smell something burning. I first thought it was the galley burning some food. As the smell became stronger I began to survey the electric system operation on the overhead control panel. Suddenly a plume of acrid smoke issued from the overhead panel and into my face. My initial reaction was to fan the smoke away from the gauge I was looking at and I knocked the right generator control switch to the off position. We donned our oxygen masks/goggles, declared an emergency. Began an immediate descent to return to atl. Our procedures for electric fire/smoke were begun. We proceeded only to step 5 as the smoke stopped prior to the turning on of emergency power. The first officer and myself did not want to change any power supply or routing of power since the smoke had stopped. We then had the jumpseat rider called forward to the cockpit. He was an medium large transport qualified captain and I had him review the procedures and actions to see if a different plan should be considered. The extra crew member felt all was in good order. I then directed him to handle briefing the flight attendants and make a PA to the passenger explaining our problem and return to atl. A relatively routine approach/landing was made although it was an overweight landing. For myself the most confusing and difficult part of this problem was trying to orient my navigation to VOR stations which have been renamed something other than the city they serve. To be quite blunt. I would like to have the bureaucrats who devised this renaming scheme sitting in the seat with the overhead panel on fire while they tried to figure out if choo-choo VOR was to a major city with fire fighting equipment or some place that had an old steam engine co-located with the airport. This one factor made deciding on a diversion point very difficult, while the smoke was so thick and the chart was on the floor where it fell during the donning of our oxygen masks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG HAS BURNING SMELL THEN SMOKE IN COCKPIT.

Narrative: DURING CLB OUT AT APPROX 25000 FT MSL BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. I FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS THE GALLEY BURNING SOME FOOD. AS THE SMELL BECAME STRONGER I BEGAN TO SURVEY THE ELECTRIC SYS OP ON THE OVERHEAD CTL PANEL. SUDDENLY A PLUME OF ACRID SMOKE ISSUED FROM THE OVERHEAD PANEL AND INTO MY FACE. MY INITIAL REACTION WAS TO FAN THE SMOKE AWAY FROM THE GAUGE I WAS LOOKING AT AND I KNOCKED THE R GENERATOR CTL SWITCH TO THE OFF POS. WE DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS/GOGGLES, DECLARED AN EMER. BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO RETURN TO ATL. OUR PROCS FOR ELECTRIC FIRE/SMOKE WERE BEGUN. WE PROCEEDED ONLY TO STEP 5 AS THE SMOKE STOPPED PRIOR TO THE TURNING ON OF EMER PWR. THE FO AND MYSELF DID NOT WANT TO CHANGE ANY PWR SUPPLY OR ROUTING OF PWR SINCE THE SMOKE HAD STOPPED. WE THEN HAD THE JUMPSEAT RIDER CALLED FORWARD TO THE COCKPIT. HE WAS AN MLG QUALIFIED CAPT AND I HAD HIM REVIEW THE PROCS AND ACTIONS TO SEE IF A DIFFERENT PLAN SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. THE EXTRA CREW MEMBER FELT ALL WAS IN GOOD ORDER. I THEN DIRECTED HIM TO HANDLE BRIEFING THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND MAKE A PA TO THE PAX EXPLAINING OUR PROB AND RETURN TO ATL. A RELATIVELY ROUTINE APCH/LNDG WAS MADE ALTHOUGH IT WAS AN OVERWT LNDG. FOR MYSELF THE MOST CONFUSING AND DIFFICULT PART OF THIS PROB WAS TRYING TO ORIENT MY NAV TO VOR STATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN RENAMED SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE CITY THEY SERVE. TO BE QUITE BLUNT. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE BUREAUCRATS WHO DEVISED THIS RENAMING SCHEME SITTING IN THE SEAT WITH THE OVERHEAD PANEL ON FIRE WHILE THEY TRIED TO FIGURE OUT IF CHOO-CHOO VOR WAS TO A MAJOR CITY WITH FIRE FIGHTING EQUIP OR SOME PLACE THAT HAD AN OLD STEAM ENG CO-LOCATED WITH THE ARPT. THIS ONE FACTOR MADE DECIDING ON A DIVERSION POINT VERY DIFFICULT, WHILE THE SMOKE WAS SO THICK AND THE CHART WAS ON THE FLOOR WHERE IT FELL DURING THE DONNING OF OUR OXYGEN MASKS.

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.