Narrative:

While in cruise at FL350, we started picking up a faint 'electrical wire burning' odor. All electrical indications on gauges were normal. Called company maintenance on cockpit phone to discuss problem. During this discussion, the odor became progressively worse. Odor seemed to emanate from glareshield area and was much more noticeable if air vents were opened. Flight attendant was called forward and noticed odor also. I instructed flight attendant to notify me immediately if odor or smoke was noticeable in cabin. I explained to maintenance that the situation was worsening and that most likely we would be heading for milwaukee. I got dispatch revision numbers quickly and started diversion. Declared emergency near jot VOR at an altitude of FL300 as we descended, as we wanted to ensure priority handling if the situation worsened. Other emergency diversion airports were discussed as we descended in case smoke developed. Landing was normal and we taxied to the gate. Because of position at the time, we declared emergency (both horizontal and vertical), mke was the most suitable airport for diversion. Supplemental information from acn 422477: I now went for my oxygen mask while the captain was trying to determine the source of this odor. The captain and I were now using the smoke goggles, oxygen and the intercom. Firefighters, maintenance and flight management boarded the aircraft and noticed the same burnt odor. Maintenance did find a screw that backed out on the glareshield and worn through a windshield anti-ice wire causing a short to ground which burned the surrounding plastic. Crew (captain/first officer) spent 5 hours in emergency room for blood test, chest x-rays and captain had an ekg. No further medical problems. Aircraft was repaired. Good CRM/crew coordination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING CRUISE THE FLC OF A DC9-32 SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL PLASTIC ODOR COMING FROM THE GLARESHIELD AREA AND CONVERSED WITH COMPANY MAINT REGARDING THE PROB. THE FLYING FO DONNED OXYGEN MASK, AND HAD SMOKE GOGGLES OUT FOR QUICK USE. CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND. PROB WAS FOUND TO BE A SHORTED WINDSHIELD HEAT WIRE.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL350, WE STARTED PICKING UP A FAINT 'ELECTRICAL WIRE BURNING' ODOR. ALL ELECTRICAL INDICATIONS ON GAUGES WERE NORMAL. CALLED COMPANY MAINT ON COCKPIT PHONE TO DISCUSS PROB. DURING THIS DISCUSSION, THE ODOR BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. ODOR SEEMED TO EMANATE FROM GLARESHIELD AREA AND WAS MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE IF AIR VENTS WERE OPENED. FLT ATTENDANT WAS CALLED FORWARD AND NOTICED ODOR ALSO. I INSTRUCTED FLT ATTENDANT TO NOTIFY ME IMMEDIATELY IF ODOR OR SMOKE WAS NOTICEABLE IN CABIN. I EXPLAINED TO MAINT THAT THE SIT WAS WORSENING AND THAT MOST LIKELY WE WOULD BE HDG FOR MILWAUKEE. I GOT DISPATCH REVISION NUMBERS QUICKLY AND STARTED DIVERSION. DECLARED EMER NEAR JOT VOR AT AN ALT OF FL300 AS WE DSNDED, AS WE WANTED TO ENSURE PRIORITY HANDLING IF THE SIT WORSENED. OTHER EMER DIVERSION ARPTS WERE DISCUSSED AS WE DSNDED IN CASE SMOKE DEVELOPED. LNDG WAS NORMAL AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. BECAUSE OF POS AT THE TIME, WE DECLARED EMER (BOTH HORIZ AND VERT), MKE WAS THE MOST SUITABLE ARPT FOR DIVERSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 422477: I NOW WENT FOR MY OXYGEN MASK WHILE THE CAPT WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THIS ODOR. THE CAPT AND I WERE NOW USING THE SMOKE GOGGLES, OXYGEN AND THE INTERCOM. FIREFIGHTERS, MAINT AND FLT MGMNT BOARDED THE ACFT AND NOTICED THE SAME BURNT ODOR. MAINT DID FIND A SCREW THAT BACKED OUT ON THE GLARESHIELD AND WORN THROUGH A WINDSHIELD ANTI-ICE WIRE CAUSING A SHORT TO GND WHICH BURNED THE SURROUNDING PLASTIC. CREW (CAPT/FO) SPENT 5 HRS IN EMER ROOM FOR BLOOD TEST, CHEST X-RAYS AND CAPT HAD AN EKG. NO FURTHER MEDICAL PROBS. ACFT WAS REPAIRED. GOOD CRM/CREW COORD.

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.