Smoke in the cockpit. Diversion to alternate.

Attributes
ACN	285007
Time
Date	199410
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : abi
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	285007
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	285008
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In cruise at FL310 smell of smoke, electrical fire strong in cockpit. Circuit breaker panel above and behind captain's seat began to emit heavy smoke. Immediately declared 'emergency' and stated we had smoke in the cockpit and would need lower and nearest airport. Cleared to FL240 initially. Approaching FL240 in emergency descent requested lower clearance. Center stated 'standby he would have to coordinate.' aircraft was level at FL220 momentarily, before further clearance to 14000 ft received. Approximately 10000 ft smoke at source stopped. Precautionary landing made at abi. Suggest immediate coordination with center for lower when aircraft declare 'emergency' and request lower. Especially with smoke or fire. Aircraft was VMC -- no hazards or conflicts of traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the first officer was given a call back. He revealed that the maintenance fix written into the logbook was to replace the forward lavatory ballast. The first officer was asked what checklists were used and did any checklist use cause the cessation of the smoke. The first officer stated that only the 'smoke in cockpit' checklist was completed because of events happening so quickly. They did not get to the electrical fire checklist. The smoke had ceased at about 10000 ft because the circuit breaker on the P-18 panel had popped. First officer said it certainly took it's time in doing so. Their time was used mostly in the communication with center, donning masks, flying the aircraft and coordinating with the cabin attendants. The first officer added that the main reason for the report was the fact that ZFW had created a descent delay in their 'coordination' attempts with other controllers. The flight crew descended through the cleared altitude of FL240 to about FL220, where they leveled for a brief time. First officer assumes that the controller was caught by surprise and that slowed his reaction time. The aircraft was a B-737-200. Supplemental information from acn 285008: heavy smoke entered the cockpit from behind the P18 circuit breaker panel. As we approached 240, we asked for lower. Our altitude at the time of our clearance to 14000 ft was approximately 22500 ft. Since we had declared an emergency and the WX was cavu.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: IN CRUISE AT FL310 SMELL OF SMOKE, ELECTRICAL FIRE STRONG IN COCKPIT. CB PANEL ABOVE AND BEHIND CAPT'S SEAT BEGAN TO EMIT HVY SMOKE. IMMEDIATELY DECLARED 'EMER' AND STATED WE HAD SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND WOULD NEED LOWER AND NEAREST ARPT. CLRED TO FL240 INITIALLY. APCHING FL240 IN EMER DSCNT REQUESTED LOWER CLRNC. CTR STATED 'STANDBY HE WOULD HAVE TO COORDINATE.' ACFT WAS LEVEL AT FL220 MOMENTARILY, BEFORE FURTHER CLRNC TO 14000 FT RECEIVED. APPROX 10000 FT SMOKE AT SOURCE STOPPED. PRECAUTIONARY LNDG MADE AT ABI. SUGGEST IMMEDIATE COORD WITH CTR FOR LOWER WHEN ACFT DECLARE 'EMER' AND REQUEST LOWER. ESPECIALLY WITH SMOKE OR FIRE. ACFT WAS VMC -- NO HAZARDS OR CONFLICTS OF TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO WAS GIVEN A CALL BACK. HE REVEALED THAT THE MAINT FIX WRITTEN INTO THE LOGBOOK WAS TO REPLACE THE FORWARD LAVATORY BALLAST. THE FO WAS ASKED WHAT CHKLISTS WERE USED AND DID ANY CHKLIST USE CAUSE THE CESSATION OF THE SMOKE. THE FO STATED THAT ONLY THE 'SMOKE IN COCKPIT' CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED BECAUSE OF EVENTS HAPPENING SO QUICKLY. THEY DID NOT GET TO THE ELECTRICAL FIRE CHKLIST. THE SMOKE HAD CEASED AT ABOUT 10000 FT BECAUSE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE P-18 PANEL HAD POPPED. FO SAID IT CERTAINLY TOOK IT'S TIME IN DOING SO. THEIR TIME WAS USED MOSTLY IN THE COM WITH CTR, DONNING MASKS, FLYING THE ACFT AND COORDINATING WITH THE CABIN ATTENDANTS. THE FO ADDED THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THE RPT WAS THE FACT THAT ZFW HAD CREATED A DSCNT DELAY IN THEIR 'COORD' ATTEMPTS WITH OTHER CTLRS. THE FLC DSNDED THROUGH THE CLRED ALT OF FL240 TO ABOUT FL220, WHERE THEY LEVELED FOR A BRIEF TIME. FO ASSUMES THAT THE CTLR WAS CAUGHT BY SURPRISE AND THAT SLOWED HIS REACTION TIME. THE ACFT WAS A B-737-200. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 285008: HVY SMOKE ENTERED THE COCKPIT FROM BEHIND THE P18 CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL. AS WE APCHED 240, WE ASKED FOR LOWER. OUR ALT AT THE TIME OF OUR CLRNC TO 14000 FT WAS APPROX 22500 FT. SINCE WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER AND THE WX WAS CAVU.

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.