37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 376750 |
Time | |
Date | 199708 |
Day | Thu |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : stl |
State Reference | MO |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
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 |
Navigation In Use | Other Other |
Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude other other |
Route In Use | enroute airway : zkc |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 200 |
ASRS Report | 376750 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
Consequence | Other |
Narrative:
This was to be our final leg of the day, going to sgf. We were scheduled on aircraft xx, on which we had earlier that same day had to declare an in-flight emergency due to an electrical smoke warning. Maintenance having run the aircraft for 45 mins on the ground without any problems. Returned the aircraft for flight. On this leg we were also to be line checked by our poi, stl. We were cleared out of the gate by ramp and instructed to contact stl metering at the X1 location. At X2 with his tail pointed at our tail was a B727. I was instructed by my captain to start engine #1, having taxied out on engine #2 only. As I was doing this, the B727 was cleared to taxi to runway 12. The jet blast from his engines slammed our yoke (elevators) violently from full forward to the locked position 1/2 way back towards the pilots. This force caused an elevator pitch disconnect and the associated aural warnings. We subsequently taxied back to our gate and notified maintenance. The elevators reconnected, the passenger reboarded, and our poi reseated. We once again set off for sgf. On climb out of stl, at approximately 6000 ft, we again got an electrical smoke warning. I was flying, captain ran checklist. He, upon completing the checklist, declared an emergency, requesting a return to stl. He notified the flight attendants and had them brief the passenger. As had happened earlier, descending through approximately 3000 ft, the electrical smoke light on our cap went out. We landed without incident and returned to our gate. Speculation from maintenance was that a small oil leak into our left pack was creating enough smoke to set off the optical smoke detector. As of today, aug/xa/97, I have not heard a final determination as to what exactly caused this problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MDT COMMERCIAL FIXED WING ACFT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO A SMOKE DETECTOR WARNING. THIS WARNING CAUSED AN EMER TO BE DECLARED ON THE PREVIOUS FLT OF THE DAY.
Narrative: THIS WAS TO BE OUR FINAL LEG OF THE DAY, GOING TO SGF. WE WERE SCHEDULED ON ACFT XX, ON WHICH WE HAD EARLIER THAT SAME DAY HAD TO DECLARE AN INFLT EMER DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SMOKE WARNING. MAINT HAVING RUN THE ACFT FOR 45 MINS ON THE GND WITHOUT ANY PROBS. RETURNED THE ACFT FOR FLT. ON THIS LEG WE WERE ALSO TO BE LINE CHKED BY OUR POI, STL. WE WERE CLRED OUT OF THE GATE BY RAMP AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT STL METERING AT THE X1 LOCATION. AT X2 WITH HIS TAIL POINTED AT OUR TAIL WAS A B727. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY MY CAPT TO START ENG #1, HAVING TAXIED OUT ON ENG #2 ONLY. AS I WAS DOING THIS, THE B727 WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 12. THE JET BLAST FROM HIS ENGS SLAMMED OUR YOKE (ELEVATORS) VIOLENTLY FROM FULL FORWARD TO THE LOCKED POS 1/2 WAY BACK TOWARDS THE PLTS. THIS FORCE CAUSED AN ELEVATOR PITCH DISCONNECT AND THE ASSOCIATED AURAL WARNINGS. WE SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIED BACK TO OUR GATE AND NOTIFIED MAINT. THE ELEVATORS RECONNECTED, THE PAX REBOARDED, AND OUR POI RESEATED. WE ONCE AGAIN SET OFF FOR SGF. ON CLBOUT OF STL, AT APPROX 6000 FT, WE AGAIN GOT AN ELECTRICAL SMOKE WARNING. I WAS FLYING, CAPT RAN CHKLIST. HE, UPON COMPLETING THE CHKLIST, DECLARED AN EMER, REQUESTING A RETURN TO STL. HE NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND HAD THEM BRIEF THE PAX. AS HAD HAPPENED EARLIER, DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 3000 FT, THE ELECTRICAL SMOKE LIGHT ON OUR CAP WENT OUT. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND RETURNED TO OUR GATE. SPECULATION FROM MAINT WAS THAT A SMALL OIL LEAK INTO OUR L PACK WAS CREATING ENOUGH SMOKE TO SET OFF THE OPTICAL SMOKE DETECTOR. AS OF TODAY, AUG/XA/97, I HAVE NOT HEARD A FINAL DETERMINATION AS TO WHAT EXACTLY CAUSED THIS PROB.
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.