Flight crew of B727 smell smoke in the cockpit just after takeoff. Emergency declared and return to ...

Attributes
ACN	382247
Time
Date	199710
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	382247
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	381964
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Immediately after takeoff, at gear retraction, flight engineer/first officer smelled smoke, then in a couple of seconds, I smelled it. Informed dfw tower we had problem and needed to return land. Smoke was from rudder load limiter light on flight engineer panel. Flight engineer removed cover and saw smoke and electrical sparks. By now had climbed to 3000 ft and were downwind for runway 17R. Had oxygen masks on due to smoke. Not real heavy smoke or fumes. Flight engineer pulled bulb out and now socket was shooting sparks out. Flight engineer now pulled and disconnected cannon plug to that panel. Smoke and sparks stopped immediately. Landed 900 pounds overweight. Uneventful landing. Followed by crash fire rescue equipment personnel and checked at gate. Maintenance found shorted and melted wires in the panel. Discussed problem and we all thought that possibly over time bumped the indicator fixture/light and led to it being out of position to lead to shorting. The first officer was flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 SMELL SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT JUST AFTER TKOF. EMER DECLARED AND RETURN TO ARPT. SMOKE FROM RUDDER LOAD LIMITER LIGHT. FE PULLED AND DISCONNECTED THE CANNON PLUG. SMOKE AND SPARKS STOPPED.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, AT GEAR RETRACTION, FE/FO SMELLED SMOKE, THEN IN A COUPLE OF SECONDS, I SMELLED IT. INFORMED DFW TWR WE HAD PROB AND NEEDED TO RETURN LAND. SMOKE WAS FROM RUDDER LOAD LIMITER LIGHT ON FE PANEL. FE REMOVED COVER AND SAW SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL SPARKS. BY NOW HAD CLBED TO 3000 FT AND WERE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17R. HAD OXYGEN MASKS ON DUE TO SMOKE. NOT REAL HVY SMOKE OR FUMES. FE PULLED BULB OUT AND NOW SOCKET WAS SHOOTING SPARKS OUT. FE NOW PULLED AND DISCONNECTED CANNON PLUG TO THAT PANEL. SMOKE AND SPARKS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. LANDED 900 LBS OVERWT. UNEVENTFUL LNDG. FOLLOWED BY CFR PERSONNEL AND CHKED AT GATE. MAINT FOUND SHORTED AND MELTED WIRES IN THE PANEL. DISCUSSED PROB AND WE ALL THOUGHT THAT POSSIBLY OVER TIME BUMPED THE INDICATOR FIXTURE/LIGHT AND LED TO IT BEING OUT OF POS TO LEAD TO SHORTING. THE FO WAS FLYING.

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 of B727 smell smoke in the cockpit just after takeoff. Emergency declared and return to airport. Smoke from rudder load limiter light. Flight engineer pulled and disconnected the cannon plug. Smoke and sparks stopped.