A B737-200 flight crew diverted as a result of electrical fumes in the cockpit and cabin. The flight...

Attributes
ACN	326264
Time
Date	199601
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : chs
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight
Route In Use	enroute airway : zjx
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	326264
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	326483
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At cruise over chs we smelled fumes that appeared to be electrical in origin. Flight attendant confirmed that the fumes were also in the cabin. Checklist was completed but fumes were still present. Flight was diverted to chs with no further problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was asked if the gasper fan was turned off. Reporter states that he did turn the gasper fan off, as it was suspect, even though this was not part of the checklist procedures. During normal flight operations, flight crew technique is to turn the fan off at altitude (because of associated problems with the windings on the motor), but the flight crew had opted to leave it on during this flight. During the flight's diversion, the flight crew suspected that they had isolated the source, but the fumes were still lingering. Also, the flight attendants and the passenger could still smell fumes. Flight crew decision was, without question, to land. An immediate landing served 2 purposes: it satiated the alarm that everyone on board must have felt, and it was precautionary, as there was still a possibility that the problem had not been resolved. Reporter states that turning off the gasper fan is not a trained or published procedure. Flight crew response was a result of their personal experience. Checklist emphasis is now on making an immediate landing. Supplemental information from acn 326483: passenger and crew exited aircraft at terminal gate. Problem fume source later determined by maintenance to be gasper fan.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 FLC DIVERTED AS A RESULT OF ELECTRICAL FUMES IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. THE FLT ATTENDANT CONFIRMED THAT FUMES WERE ALSO IN THE CABIN. CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED, BUT FUMES REMAINED. FLT DIVERTED. EMER.

Narrative: AT CRUISE OVER CHS WE SMELLED FUMES THAT APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN ORIGIN. FLT ATTENDANT CONFIRMED THAT THE FUMES WERE ALSO IN THE CABIN. CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED BUT FUMES WERE STILL PRESENT. FLT WAS DIVERTED TO CHS WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS ASKED IF THE GASPER FAN WAS TURNED OFF. RPTR STATES THAT HE DID TURN THE GASPER FAN OFF, AS IT WAS SUSPECT, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE CHKLIST PROCS. DURING NORMAL FLT OPS, FLC TECHNIQUE IS TO TURN THE FAN OFF AT ALT (BECAUSE OF ASSOCIATED PROBS WITH THE WINDINGS ON THE MOTOR), BUT THE FLC HAD OPTED TO LEAVE IT ON DURING THIS FLT. DURING THE FLT'S DIVERSION, THE FLC SUSPECTED THAT THEY HAD ISOLATED THE SOURCE, BUT THE FUMES WERE STILL LINGERING. ALSO, THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE PAX COULD STILL SMELL FUMES. FLC DECISION WAS, WITHOUT QUESTION, TO LAND. AN IMMEDIATE LNDG SERVED 2 PURPOSES: IT SATIATED THE ALARM THAT EVERYONE ON BOARD MUST HAVE FELT, AND IT WAS PRECAUTIONARY, AS THERE WAS STILL A POSSIBILITY THAT THE PROB HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. RPTR STATES THAT TURNING OFF THE GASPER FAN IS NOT A TRAINED OR PUBLISHED PROC. FLC RESPONSE WAS A RESULT OF THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. CHKLIST EMPHASIS IS NOW ON MAKING AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 326483: PAX AND CREW EXITED ACFT AT TERMINAL GATE. PROB FUME SOURCE LATER DETERMINED BY MAINT TO BE GASPER FAN.

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.

A B737-200 flight crew diverted as a result of electrical fumes in the cockpit and cabin. The flight attendant confirmed that fumes were also in the cabin. Checklist was completed, but fumes remained. Flight diverted. Emergency.