Narrative:

Flight was running late out of flint, mi. Lead flight attendant reported loss of PA capability from both cabin position. Cockpit PA remained functional. I chose to depart flint without contacting maintenance about the partial loss of PA. I knew this PA confign was legal to fly with, however, the proper paperwork through maintenance control is necessary. I felt the passenger connections in detroit were more important than the formality of paperwork. I was feeling the pressure of passenger satisfaction. I would write up the problem in detroit. An additional problem developed on final approach to runway 21R in detroit. We began smelling an electrical odor about 4-5 mins from touchdown. I immediately contacted tower to have emergency equipment standing by for a possible electrical fire. We donned oxygen masks for protective breathing. I communicated to the lead flight attendant the possibility of an emergency evacuate/evacuation due to an electrical problem. The lead flight attendant commented later that when he opened the cockpit door, the odor was very strong. There were no other indications in the cockpit of an electrical nature (circuit breakers popping, warning flags, annunciator lights, electrical panel abnormalities, etc). The first officer landed the aircraft and after slowing to taxi speed, I turned on the emergency power and turned off both engine driven generators. The odor dissipated. We were in contact with emergency vehicles and they confirmed no external indications of smoke or fire. Taxied aircraft to the gate, informed passenger to deplane safely and expeditiously. Aircraft completely depowered and turned over to maintenance. Did not use electrical smoke/fire checklist due to time constraints. Could have turned emergency power to on and generators off on short final without any ramifications. Many more feelings and emotions to deal with in reality rather than in simulator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG FLC RPTS THAT ELECTRICAL FUMES ENTERED THE COCKPIT WHILE ON FINAL APCH. THE FLC WAS ABLE TO SWITCH TO AN EMER PWR SOURCE THAT NO LONGER GENERATED THE FUMES AND THEY WERE ABLE TO TAXI TO THE GATE SO THE PAX WERE ABLE TO DEPLANE NORMALLY.

Narrative: FLT WAS RUNNING LATE OUT OF FLINT, MI. LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RPTED LOSS OF PA CAPABILITY FROM BOTH CABIN POS. COCKPIT PA REMAINED FUNCTIONAL. I CHOSE TO DEPART FLINT WITHOUT CONTACTING MAINT ABOUT THE PARTIAL LOSS OF PA. I KNEW THIS PA CONFIGN WAS LEGAL TO FLY WITH, HOWEVER, THE PROPER PAPERWORK THROUGH MAINT CTL IS NECESSARY. I FELT THE PAX CONNECTIONS IN DETROIT WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FORMALITY OF PAPERWORK. I WAS FEELING THE PRESSURE OF PAX SATISFACTION. I WOULD WRITE UP THE PROB IN DETROIT. AN ADDITIONAL PROB DEVELOPED ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 21R IN DETROIT. WE BEGAN SMELLING AN ELECTRICAL ODOR ABOUT 4-5 MINS FROM TOUCHDOWN. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TWR TO HAVE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY FOR A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE. WE DONNED OXYGEN MASKS FOR PROTECTIVE BREATHING. I COMMUNICATED TO THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EMER EVAC DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROB. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT COMMENTED LATER THAT WHEN HE OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR, THE ODOR WAS VERY STRONG. THERE WERE NO OTHER INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT OF AN ELECTRICAL NATURE (CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPING, WARNING FLAGS, ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS, ELECTRICAL PANEL ABNORMALITIES, ETC). THE FO LANDED THE ACFT AND AFTER SLOWING TO TAXI SPD, I TURNED ON THE EMER PWR AND TURNED OFF BOTH ENG DRIVEN GENERATORS. THE ODOR DISSIPATED. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH EMER VEHICLES AND THEY CONFIRMED NO EXTERNAL INDICATIONS OF SMOKE OR FIRE. TAXIED ACFT TO THE GATE, INFORMED PAX TO DEPLANE SAFELY AND EXPEDITIOUSLY. ACFT COMPLETELY DEPOWERED AND TURNED OVER TO MAINT. DID NOT USE ELECTRICAL SMOKE/FIRE CHKLIST DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS. COULD HAVE TURNED EMER PWR TO ON AND GENERATORS OFF ON SHORT FINAL WITHOUT ANY RAMIFICATIONS. MANY MORE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS TO DEAL WITH IN REALITY RATHER THAN IN SIMULATOR.

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.