In-flight fire. Fire extinguished. Flight crew distraction smoke in cockpit.

Attributes
ACN	271951
Time
Date	199405
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : unz
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 41000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : rorg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5200
ASRS Report	271951
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Log book write-up showed captain's flight director pms light would not stay in. I removed the light from the socket to examine the back. When I removed the light, sparks, flame (small) and a large stream of very dense smoke erupted. The smoke went directly into my face causing immediate burning in my nostrils and throat. Called for oxygen masks 100 percent! (Thought about flame and oxygen later). First officer turned off pms. I called for halon bottle. I pointed, but didn't fire it since first officer turning off pms removed the power source. Flame stopped and socket went from bright red to no color in less than 1 minute. Smoke continued, but decreased to nothing in 3-4 minutes. We remained on oxygen until cockpit cleared of smoke. Lead flight attendant reported swelling smoke at door 2. A spring from the large pin on the back of the light fell off and shorted against other pins. Spring became welded in place. Air flow behind panel directed smoke directly into my face, but stopped being severe within seconds due to first officer quick action in turning off pms. Before we donned smoke goggles, the problem subsided. I credit my copilot and his immediate reaction for the almost instant resolution to the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT FIRE. FIRE EXTINGUISHED. FLC DISTR SMOKE IN COCKPIT.

Narrative: LOG BOOK WRITE-UP SHOWED CAPT'S FLT DIRECTOR PMS LIGHT WOULD NOT STAY IN. I REMOVED THE LIGHT FROM THE SOCKET TO EXAMINE THE BACK. WHEN I REMOVED THE LIGHT, SPARKS, FLAME (SMALL) AND A LARGE STREAM OF VERY DENSE SMOKE ERUPTED. THE SMOKE WENT DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE CAUSING IMMEDIATE BURNING IN MY NOSTRILS AND THROAT. CALLED FOR OXYGEN MASKS 100 PERCENT! (THOUGHT ABOUT FLAME AND OXYGEN LATER). FO TURNED OFF PMS. I CALLED FOR HALON BOTTLE. I POINTED, BUT DIDN'T FIRE IT SINCE FO TURNING OFF PMS REMOVED THE PWR SOURCE. FLAME STOPPED AND SOCKET WENT FROM BRIGHT RED TO NO COLOR IN LESS THAN 1 MINUTE. SMOKE CONTINUED, BUT DECREASED TO NOTHING IN 3-4 MINUTES. WE REMAINED ON OXYGEN UNTIL COCKPIT CLRED OF SMOKE. LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RPTED SWELLING SMOKE AT DOOR 2. A SPRING FROM THE LARGE PIN ON THE BACK OF THE LIGHT FELL OFF AND SHORTED AGAINST OTHER PINS. SPRING BECAME WELDED IN PLACE. AIR FLOW BEHIND PANEL DIRECTED SMOKE DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE, BUT STOPPED BEING SEVERE WITHIN SECONDS DUE TO FO QUICK ACTION IN TURNING OFF PMS. BEFORE WE DONNED SMOKE GOGGLES, THE PROB SUBSIDED. I CREDIT MY COPLT AND HIS IMMEDIATE REACTION FOR THE ALMOST INSTANT RESOLUTION TO THE PROB.

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.