Narrative:

We had a normal takeoff and climb out of msp. We leveled at FL310 due to turbulence at the higher altitudes. As we approached fort dodge, we saw the instrument lights flicker twice followed by a loud 'pop.' the first officer immediately noticed flames coming from the jump seat area just above the locking device. Smoke and fumes filled the cockpit within seconds. We put on our oxygen masks and turned off both generators and battery switch. We did not put the emergency power on for fear that the fire may be linked to that circuit. We decided to fly with a dark cockpit and no radios until we were sure that the fire was out. After turning the generators and battery off, the flames went out and the smoke did not get any worse. For 1 min we flew using a flashlight held in my r-hand while flying with my left. When 1 min was over, we turned the emergency power switch on, used instrument flood lighting and used communication #1 to declare an emergency. The first officer worked the 'cockpit smoke' checklist while I was being vectored to the nearest suitable airport, dsm. The lead flight attendant came up at FL250 and between the first officer and I we explained the situation. We were too busy to go into great detail at that time. We would give her an ETA and evacuate/evacuation instructions later. The first officer finished the checklist and helped me with ATC and the approach details, WX, etc. At 11000 ft we called the lead cabin attendant to give her a more thorough briefing. We told her 10 mins, dsm, runway evacuate/evacuation, prepare the cabin. She told us the smoke was limited to the cockpit and first class galley with only minor smoke in the main cabin. ATC continued vectors to an ILS runway 13L in dsm. We had to circle once due to being high and too close to the airport. We circled just outside the FAF and continued the approach. The first officer did a great job of keeping me up to date on what he was doing and helping me stay organized. At 3000 ft, we called the lead flight attendant, told her not to evacuate/evacuation unless she hears from us. Most of the smoke was gone by now, but the smell of burning plastic remained. We made a normal ILS with airport surveillance radar (ASR) assistance from ATC. Once on the ground, we evaluated the situation and determined that there was no need to risk a slide evacuate/evacuation. We coordinated with ground and crash, fire and rescue (crash fire rescue equipment) who followed us to the gate, shut off both engines, and made sure external power was not plugged in. At the gate, the epc was still warm. We made a normal egress of the airplane at the jetway. Thanks to the first officer and the flight attendants, we had a safe outcome. No injuries. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this DC9-10 first officer said that the attached narrative was written up by the captain, but that it was as he remembered the event. The fire started when the aircraft electrical xtie lock-out relay failed and shorted out. This allowed the full main power system to short with the resultant fire and smoke. He said that he thought that the captain and the cabin attendants did a great job during this emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC9-10 FLC HAS A FAILURE OF THE ACFT XTIE LOCK-OUT RELAY WITH A SHORT AND AN ELECTRICAL FIRE.

Narrative: WE HAD A NORMAL TKOF AND CLB OUT OF MSP. WE LEVELED AT FL310 DUE TO TURB AT THE HIGHER ALTS. AS WE APCHED FORT DODGE, WE SAW THE INST LIGHTS FLICKER TWICE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD 'POP.' THE FO IMMEDIATELY NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE JUMP SEAT AREA JUST ABOVE THE LOCKING DEVICE. SMOKE AND FUMES FILLED THE COCKPIT WITHIN SECONDS. WE PUT ON OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND TURNED OFF BOTH GENERATORS AND BATTERY SWITCH. WE DID NOT PUT THE EMER PWR ON FOR FEAR THAT THE FIRE MAY BE LINKED TO THAT CIRCUIT. WE DECIDED TO FLY WITH A DARK COCKPIT AND NO RADIOS UNTIL WE WERE SURE THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT. AFTER TURNING THE GENERATORS AND BATTERY OFF, THE FLAMES WENT OUT AND THE SMOKE DID NOT GET ANY WORSE. FOR 1 MIN WE FLEW USING A FLASHLIGHT HELD IN MY R-HAND WHILE FLYING WITH MY L. WHEN 1 MIN WAS OVER, WE TURNED THE EMER PWR SWITCH ON, USED INST FLOOD LIGHTING AND USED COM #1 TO DECLARE AN EMER. THE FO WORKED THE 'COCKPIT SMOKE' CHKLIST WHILE I WAS BEING VECTORED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, DSM. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP AT FL250 AND BTWN THE FO AND I WE EXPLAINED THE SIT. WE WERE TOO BUSY TO GO INTO GREAT DETAIL AT THAT TIME. WE WOULD GIVE HER AN ETA AND EVAC INSTRUCTIONS LATER. THE FO FINISHED THE CHKLIST AND HELPED ME WITH ATC AND THE APCH DETAILS, WX, ETC. AT 11000 FT WE CALLED THE LEAD CABIN ATTENDANT TO GIVE HER A MORE THOROUGH BRIEFING. WE TOLD HER 10 MINS, DSM, RWY EVAC, PREPARE THE CABIN. SHE TOLD US THE SMOKE WAS LIMITED TO THE COCKPIT AND FIRST CLASS GALLEY WITH ONLY MINOR SMOKE IN THE MAIN CABIN. ATC CONTINUED VECTORS TO AN ILS RWY 13L IN DSM. WE HAD TO CIRCLE ONCE DUE TO BEING HIGH AND TOO CLOSE TO THE ARPT. WE CIRCLED JUST OUTSIDE THE FAF AND CONTINUED THE APCH. THE FO DID A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING ME UP TO DATE ON WHAT HE WAS DOING AND HELPING ME STAY ORGANIZED. AT 3000 FT, WE CALLED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT, TOLD HER NOT TO EVAC UNLESS SHE HEARS FROM US. MOST OF THE SMOKE WAS GONE BY NOW, BUT THE SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC REMAINED. WE MADE A NORMAL ILS WITH ARPT SURVEILLANCE RADAR (ASR) ASSISTANCE FROM ATC. ONCE ON THE GND, WE EVALUATED THE SIT AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO RISK A SLIDE EVAC. WE COORDINATED WITH GND AND CRASH, FIRE AND RESCUE (CFR) WHO FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE, SHUT OFF BOTH ENGS, AND MADE SURE EXTERNAL PWR WAS NOT PLUGGED IN. AT THE GATE, THE EPC WAS STILL WARM. WE MADE A NORMAL EGRESS OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE JETWAY. THANKS TO THE FO AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS, WE HAD A SAFE OUTCOME. NO INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS DC9-10 FO SAID THAT THE ATTACHED NARRATIVE WAS WRITTEN UP BY THE CAPT, BUT THAT IT WAS AS HE REMEMBERED THE EVENT. THE FIRE STARTED WHEN THE ACFT ELECTRICAL XTIE LOCK-OUT RELAY FAILED AND SHORTED OUT. THIS ALLOWED THE FULL MAIN PWR SYS TO SHORT WITH THE RESULTANT FIRE AND SMOKE. HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THE CAPT AND THE CABIN ATTENDANTS DID A GREAT JOB DURING THIS EMER.

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.