A medium large transport transport declared an emergency right after takeoff due to smoke in the cab...

Attributes
ACN	348982
Time
Date	199609
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca airport : iad
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	348982
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Right after takeoff from dca, runway 36, flight crew smelled a very strong electrical fire type odor, followed by several rapid bells from the flight attendants reporting smoke in the cabin in a very urgent manner. Emergency declared and immediate turn for iad was made for landing on runway 1R. Time was not afforded to troubleshoot the problem, except to turn off the gasper fan, which slowly cleared the cabin smoke with a very strong odor remaining. After landing the emergency was terminated. Taxi and engine shutdown was uneventful. Problem was bad bearings in the gasper fan motor. FAA inspector met the aircraft and received a brief summary on the incident. He was satisfied with all crew actions. Most of the smoke was confined to the aft cabin. Not being able to unstrap and look for myself, I had to depend on the flight attendants to be my eyes, ears and nose, and their judgement. From the urgency in their voices, I decided the best course of action was to land immediately at the closest and first suitable airport. From talking to another pilot in the cabin and several other people, the smoke was light to moderate in thickness, and cleared soon after the gasper fan was turned off.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MLG TRANSPORT DECLARED AN EMER RIGHT AFTER TKOF DUE TO SMOKE IN THE CABIN. SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL BURNING ORDER CAUSED BY A FAILED GASPER FAN.

Narrative: RIGHT AFTER TKOF FROM DCA, RWY 36, FLC SMELLED A VERY STRONG ELECTRICAL FIRE TYPE ODOR, FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL RAPID BELLS FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTING SMOKE IN THE CABIN IN A VERY URGENT MANNER. EMER DECLARED AND IMMEDIATE TURN FOR IAD WAS MADE FOR LNDG ON RWY 1R. TIME WAS NOT AFFORDED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB, EXCEPT TO TURN OFF THE GASPER FAN, WHICH SLOWLY CLRED THE CABIN SMOKE WITH A VERY STRONG ODOR REMAINING. AFTER LNDG THE EMER WAS TERMINATED. TAXI AND ENG SHUTDOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL. PROB WAS BAD BEARINGS IN THE GASPER FAN MOTOR. FAA INSPECTOR MET THE ACFT AND RECEIVED A BRIEF SUMMARY ON THE INCIDENT. HE WAS SATISFIED WITH ALL CREW ACTIONS. MOST OF THE SMOKE WAS CONFINED TO THE AFT CABIN. NOT BEING ABLE TO UNSTRAP AND LOOK FOR MYSELF, I HAD TO DEPEND ON THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE MY EYES, EARS AND NOSE, AND THEIR JUDGEMENT. FROM THE URGENCY IN THEIR VOICES, I DECIDED THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AT THE CLOSEST AND FIRST SUITABLE ARPT. FROM TALKING TO ANOTHER PLT IN THE CABIN AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE, THE SMOKE WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE IN THICKNESS, AND CLRED SOON AFTER THE GASPER FAN WAS TURNED OFF.

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 medium large transport transport declared an emergency right after takeoff due to smoke in the cabin. Smoke and electrical burning order caused by a failed gasper fan.