Narrative:

At 9000 ft, fumes of unknown source permeated cockpit (no smoke) flight attendants were queried and asked to investigate galley and lavs for potential source. They were unable to identify source and noted that smell was most noticeable in cockpit and very slightly noticeable in cabin. As odor worsened, flight crew donned oxygen masks as a precaution. Captain took over PF duties while first officer checked physical condition of rain repellant canisters and plumbing. Repellant was ruled out. (No citrus flavor). To avoid another transfer of duties, captain continued flying aircraft. At this point, we had been cleared direct to lga and, with airport in sight, cleared the visual to runway 22. As we continued, captain sampled ambient air to check trend of condition. Fumes seemed to be worsening, so cockpit smoke and fume evacuate/evacuation checklist was initiated as the source was still unidented. 'Still no smoke in cockpit.' as a further precautionary measure, we notified tower to call out the fire and rescue equipment. A normal landing was accomplished and aircraft was maneuvered off runway onto high speed taxi towards location of waiting fire trucks and stopped. As there was still no smoke in cockpit or cabin, captain elected not to emergency evacuate/evacuation. Emergency teams had stair truck standing by, and positioned stairs to main cabin door. Passenger were deplaned in an orderly fashion. There were no known injuries or damage to aircraft. The fire department, upon boarding and investigating with infrared heat scope, determined that coffee pot on lower heating pad had smoldering coffee sludge. Further investigation showed that the switch to the pad was off but had failed and the pad was still hot. Having the stair truck immediately available was of great assistance during this precautionary event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUMES IN COCKPIT AND CABIN.

Narrative: AT 9000 FT, FUMES OF UNKNOWN SOURCE PERMEATED COCKPIT (NO SMOKE) FLT ATTENDANTS WERE QUERIED AND ASKED TO INVESTIGATE GALLEY AND LAVS FOR POTENTIAL SOURCE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENT SOURCE AND NOTED THAT SMELL WAS MOST NOTICEABLE IN COCKPIT AND VERY SLIGHTLY NOTICEABLE IN CABIN. AS ODOR WORSENED, FLC DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AS A PRECAUTION. CAPT TOOK OVER PF DUTIES WHILE FO CHKED PHYSICAL CONDITION OF RAIN REPELLANT CANISTERS AND PLUMBING. REPELLANT WAS RULED OUT. (NO CITRUS FLAVOR). TO AVOID ANOTHER TRANSFER OF DUTIES, CAPT CONTINUED FLYING ACFT. AT THIS POINT, WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT TO LGA AND, WITH ARPT IN SIGHT, CLRED THE VISUAL TO RWY 22. AS WE CONTINUED, CAPT SAMPLED AMBIENT AIR TO CHK TREND OF CONDITION. FUMES SEEMED TO BE WORSENING, SO COCKPIT SMOKE AND FUME EVAC CHKLIST WAS INITIATED AS THE SOURCE WAS STILL UNIDENTED. 'STILL NO SMOKE IN COCKPIT.' AS A FURTHER PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, WE NOTIFIED TWR TO CALL OUT THE FIRE AND RESCUE EQUIP. A NORMAL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND ACFT WAS MANEUVERED OFF RWY ONTO HIGH SPD TAXI TOWARDS LOCATION OF WAITING FIRE TRUCKS AND STOPPED. AS THERE WAS STILL NO SMOKE IN COCKPIT OR CABIN, CAPT ELECTED NOT TO EMER EVAC. EMER TEAMS HAD STAIR TRUCK STANDING BY, AND POSITIONED STAIRS TO MAIN CABIN DOOR. PAX WERE DEPLANED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. THERE WERE NO KNOWN INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO ACFT. THE FIRE DEPT, UPON BOARDING AND INVESTIGATING WITH INFRARED HEAT SCOPE, DETERMINED THAT COFFEE POT ON LOWER HEATING PAD HAD SMOLDERING COFFEE SLUDGE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE SWITCH TO THE PAD WAS OFF BUT HAD FAILED AND THE PAD WAS STILL HOT. HAVING THE STAIR TRUCK IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE WAS OF GREAT ASSISTANCE DURING THIS PRECAUTIONARY EVENT.

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.