Narrative:

After about 2 hours ground hold on 'cc' with engines shut down, the first officer took out his laptop computer to finish his monthly bidding, and I asked how much battery time he had available. He said he'd try the 115 volt receptacle just behind him and I said it would be best to try my plug type rechargeable flashlight. He plugged it in and it went to double brightness and started discharging black smoke and acrid fumes. I opened the left cockpit window and threw it about 40 ft. A ground vehicle was asked to retrieve the pieces. Specific instructions on the 115 volt use should be given to all crews. In-flight it could be serious. I.e., fire -- explosion. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter verified that the plug in question was indeed a 115 volt 2 pronged receptacle. It was labeled 115 volts. There were no other instructions or warnings by this plug. He thought, but could not verify by any aircraft instrumentation, that there was a phasing or cycles problem involved in this event. He was asked to check the contents of the pilot's operating manual for any information regarding references to using only ground based equipment such as vacuum cleaners and the like, and could not find such information. He has turned his report into the air carrier for their review. His main concern was that some crew member might try to use this plug while airborne with very negative results possible. He wants the acrs to give some form of warning and education regarding the potential for danger when using this cockpit outlet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMOKE IN COCKPIT FROM OVERCHARGED FLASHLIGHT PLUGGED INTO THE SUPPOSED 115 VOLT COCKPIT OUTLET.

Narrative: AFTER ABOUT 2 HRS GND HOLD ON 'CC' WITH ENGS SHUT DOWN, THE FO TOOK OUT HIS LAPTOP COMPUTER TO FINISH HIS MONTHLY BIDDING, AND I ASKED HOW MUCH BATTERY TIME HE HAD AVAILABLE. HE SAID HE'D TRY THE 115 VOLT RECEPTACLE JUST BEHIND HIM AND I SAID IT WOULD BE BEST TO TRY MY PLUG TYPE RECHARGEABLE FLASHLIGHT. HE PLUGGED IT IN AND IT WENT TO DOUBLE BRIGHTNESS AND STARTED DISCHARGING BLACK SMOKE AND ACRID FUMES. I OPENED THE L COCKPIT WINDOW AND THREW IT ABOUT 40 FT. A GND VEHICLE WAS ASKED TO RETRIEVE THE PIECES. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON THE 115 VOLT USE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ALL CREWS. INFLT IT COULD BE SERIOUS. I.E., FIRE -- EXPLOSION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR VERIFIED THAT THE PLUG IN QUESTION WAS INDEED A 115 VOLT 2 PRONGED RECEPTACLE. IT WAS LABELED 115 VOLTS. THERE WERE NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS OR WARNINGS BY THIS PLUG. HE THOUGHT, BUT COULD NOT VERIFY BY ANY ACFT INSTRUMENTATION, THAT THERE WAS A PHASING OR CYCLES PROB INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT. HE WAS ASKED TO CHK THE CONTENTS OF THE PLT'S OPERATING MANUAL FOR ANY INFO REGARDING REFS TO USING ONLY GND BASED EQUIP SUCH AS VACUUM CLEANERS AND THE LIKE, AND COULD NOT FIND SUCH INFO. HE HAS TURNED HIS RPT INTO THE ACR FOR THEIR REVIEW. HIS MAIN CONCERN WAS THAT SOME CREW MEMBER MIGHT TRY TO USE THIS PLUG WHILE AIRBORNE WITH VERY NEGATIVE RESULTS POSSIBLE. HE WANTS THE ACRS TO GIVE SOME FORM OF WARNING AND EDUCATION REGARDING THE POTENTIAL FOR DANGER WHEN USING THIS COCKPIT OUTLET.

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.