Flight crew cabin crew heard smoke detector warning right after landing and taxied off runway to inv...

Attributes
ACN	336525
Time
Date	199605
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	336525
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon landing at smf we heard a muffled chime in the cabin. As we slowed to clear the runway the flight attendants called and told us an aft lavatory smoke detector was chiming. They could not smell smoke, but could smell something unusual. We slowed on the taxiway to investigate the situation. We found no evidence of cigarette smoke, or the like, and continued to approach the ramp. Once on the well lit ramp area, I stopped the aircraft to make a final determination whether it was safe to proceed to the gate. The lack of heat or other evidence in the lavatory area caused me to go to the gate and park to deplane normally. We asked the tower to send crash fire rescue equipment assistance to stand by, which they did immediately. We were unable to reach smf operations by radio and were only able to signal the ramp crew by flashing the nose light when we stopped on the open ramp. These rather sharp folks quickly surmised a potential evacuate/evacuation and gathered themselves quickly around the aircraft. I wish they had some sort of portable radio on which we could have communicated in the absence of anyone to talk to in operations. Thanks to the rapid response of the smf airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC CABIN CREW HEARD SMOKE DETECTOR WARNING RIGHT AFTER LNDG AND TAXIED OFF RWY TO INVESTIGATE. FINDING NO SMOKE, FIRE OR HEAT, THEY CONTINUED TO THE GATE AND DEPLANED THE PAX.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AT SMF WE HEARD A MUFFLED CHIME IN THE CABIN. AS WE SLOWED TO CLR THE RWY THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED AND TOLD US AN AFT LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR WAS CHIMING. THEY COULD NOT SMELL SMOKE, BUT COULD SMELL SOMETHING UNUSUAL. WE SLOWED ON THE TXWY TO INVESTIGATE THE SIT. WE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF CIGARETTE SMOKE, OR THE LIKE, AND CONTINUED TO APCH THE RAMP. ONCE ON THE WELL LIT RAMP AREA, I STOPPED THE ACFT TO MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION WHETHER IT WAS SAFE TO PROCEED TO THE GATE. THE LACK OF HEAT OR OTHER EVIDENCE IN THE LAVATORY AREA CAUSED ME TO GO TO THE GATE AND PARK TO DEPLANE NORMALLY. WE ASKED THE TWR TO SEND CFR ASSISTANCE TO STAND BY, WHICH THEY DID IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE UNABLE TO REACH SMF OPS BY RADIO AND WERE ONLY ABLE TO SIGNAL THE RAMP CREW BY FLASHING THE NOSE LIGHT WHEN WE STOPPED ON THE OPEN RAMP. THESE RATHER SHARP FOLKS QUICKLY SURMISED A POTENTIAL EVAC AND GATHERED THEMSELVES QUICKLY AROUND THE ACFT. I WISH THEY HAD SOME SORT OF PORTABLE RADIO ON WHICH WE COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED IN THE ABSENCE OF ANYONE TO TALK TO IN OPS. THANKS TO THE RAPID RESPONSE OF THE SMF ARPT.

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.

Flight crew cabin crew heard smoke detector warning right after landing and taxied off runway to investigate. Finding no smoke, fire or heat, they continued to the gate and deplaned the passenger.