An air carrier large transport flight crew returned to the airport because of electrical smoke and f...

Attributes
ACN	400975
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gld
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 360
ASRS Report	400975
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Leveling off at FL310 all 3 crew members noticed a sharp, strong, electrical smell. Chief purser knocked on the door at that time and complained of light haze and electrical smell in the cabin. Crew members donned oxygen masks and established communications. Captain asked for immediate return to the airport from ZDV. We started a descent and the flight engineer started pulling lighting circuit breakers. Previous experience suggested a lighting ballast may have burned up. In the descent we dumped 10000 pounds of fuel. The smell and haze started to rapidly dissipate. Our aircraft was cleared in for a straight-in approach to runway 26. We landed uneventfully and on taxi-in the flight engineer noticed the gasper fan circuit breaker was popped. Maintenance subsequently noticed the gasper fan motor had overheated and failed. Because the smell rapidly dissipated after pulling the lighting circuit breakers (the gasper fan circuit breaker probably popped at the same time), the captain determined declaring an emergency was not necessary. The precautionary landing was accomplished within 15 mins of the first indication of a problem. Smoke or smell in the cabin is never to be taken lightly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT FLC RETURNED TO THE ARPT BECAUSE OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE ACFT. THE GASPER FAN MOTOR HAD OVERHEATED AND FAILED.

Narrative: LEVELING OFF AT FL310 ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS NOTICED A SHARP, STRONG, ELECTRICAL SMELL. CHIEF PURSER KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AT THAT TIME AND COMPLAINED OF LIGHT HAZE AND ELECTRICAL SMELL IN THE CABIN. CREW MEMBERS DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AND ESTABLISHED COMS. CAPT ASKED FOR IMMEDIATE RETURN TO THE ARPT FROM ZDV. WE STARTED A DSCNT AND THE FE STARTED PULLING LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE SUGGESTED A LIGHTING BALLAST MAY HAVE BURNED UP. IN THE DSCNT WE DUMPED 10000 LBS OF FUEL. THE SMELL AND HAZE STARTED TO RAPIDLY DISSIPATE. OUR ACFT WAS CLRED IN FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 26. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND ON TAXI-IN THE FE NOTICED THE GASPER FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED. MAINT SUBSEQUENTLY NOTICED THE GASPER FAN MOTOR HAD OVERHEATED AND FAILED. BECAUSE THE SMELL RAPIDLY DISSIPATED AFTER PULLING THE LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS (THE GASPER FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER PROBABLY POPPED AT THE SAME TIME), THE CAPT DETERMINED DECLARING AN EMER WAS NOT NECESSARY. THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN 15 MINS OF THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB. SMOKE OR SMELL IN THE CABIN IS NEVER TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

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.

An air carrier large transport flight crew returned to the airport because of electrical smoke and fumes in the aircraft. The gasper fan motor had overheated and failed.