Narrative:

During climb out from pdx, I noticed during after takeoff check that aircraft duct temperature was approximately 150 degrees F. The right air mix valve controller was moved from automatic to manual and I manually repositioned the position indicator to 2-3 needle widths to the cold side of the center reference mark. This was the most open pair of mix valves. Approximately 15 seconds later, the #1 flight attendant came up and reported a strong odor of burning rubber. First officer and I at that time did not smell it. I told her to see if they could identify the source and get back to me. Very shortly thereafter, she came back up and reported that the cabin sidewall, row X, aircraft left was very hot to the touch. The first officer and I at this time could also smell the fumes. I turned off the left pack and told first officer to turn crosswind, we were returning. I instructed the #1 flight attendant to move passenger away from the hot area but not to go through their emergency landing preparation, as we were doing ok and would be on the ground very quickly. I told approach we were experiencing fumes in the aircraft, requested the emergency equipment standing by and wanted vectors for an immediate landing, but at this time we were not declaring an emergency. Approach requested souls on board and fuel -- I gave it. We made a r-hand pattern and landed on runway 10R. During rollout, I had first officer make the 'remain seated' announcement. I cleared the runway and stopped on the ramp where I requested a visual flame check from the emergency equipment which was negative. During this check, the #1 flight attendant reported that the left cabin sidewall seemed to be cooling down. We then taxied around to our gate and deplaned. First officer and cabin crew did an excellent job under very rushed conditions and handled this problem in an exemplary manner. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said in-flight it was noted the right pack temperature was high but not out of limits, so the pack was taken out of automatic and switched to manual operation. The reporter stated the flight attendant reported the cabin has a strong smell of rubber and later reported the left sidewall was very hot so the left pack was switched off. The reporter said the flight crew was not aware the right sidewall was also hot. The reporter said on the ground when maintenance checked the aircraft it was determined the right mixing valve had failed in the hot sector and one other check valve had failed in the pack system. The reporter stated the check valve that failed was not named by the mechanics.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 ON INITIAL CLB AT 4500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO UNABLE TO CTL THE PAX CABIN TEMP AND HOT L SIDEWALL.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM PDX, I NOTICED DURING AFTER TKOF CHK THAT ACFT DUCT TEMP WAS APPROX 150 DEGS F. THE R AIR MIX VALVE CTLR WAS MOVED FROM AUTO TO MANUAL AND I MANUALLY REPOSITIONED THE POS INDICATOR TO 2-3 NEEDLE WIDTHS TO THE COLD SIDE OF THE CTR REF MARK. THIS WAS THE MOST OPEN PAIR OF MIX VALVES. APPROX 15 SECONDS LATER, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP AND RPTED A STRONG ODOR OF BURNING RUBBER. FO AND I AT THAT TIME DID NOT SMELL IT. I TOLD HER TO SEE IF THEY COULD IDENT THE SOURCE AND GET BACK TO ME. VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SHE CAME BACK UP AND RPTED THAT THE CABIN SIDEWALL, ROW X, ACFT L WAS VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE FO AND I AT THIS TIME COULD ALSO SMELL THE FUMES. I TURNED OFF THE L PACK AND TOLD FO TO TURN XWIND, WE WERE RETURNING. I INSTRUCTED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO MOVE PAX AWAY FROM THE HOT AREA BUT NOT TO GO THROUGH THEIR EMER LNDG PREPARATION, AS WE WERE DOING OK AND WOULD BE ON THE GND VERY QUICKLY. I TOLD APCH WE WERE EXPERIENCING FUMES IN THE ACFT, REQUESTED THE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY AND WANTED VECTORS FOR AN IMMEDIATE LNDG, BUT AT THIS TIME WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER. APCH REQUESTED SOULS ON BOARD AND FUEL -- I GAVE IT. WE MADE A R-HAND PATTERN AND LANDED ON RWY 10R. DURING ROLLOUT, I HAD FO MAKE THE 'REMAIN SEATED' ANNOUNCEMENT. I CLRED THE RWY AND STOPPED ON THE RAMP WHERE I REQUESTED A VISUAL FLAME CHK FROM THE EMER EQUIP WHICH WAS NEGATIVE. DURING THIS CHK, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THE L CABIN SIDEWALL SEEMED TO BE COOLING DOWN. WE THEN TAXIED AROUND TO OUR GATE AND DEPLANED. FO AND CABIN CREW DID AN EXCELLENT JOB UNDER VERY RUSHED CONDITIONS AND HANDLED THIS PROB IN AN EXEMPLARY MANNER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID INFLT IT WAS NOTED THE R PACK TEMP WAS HIGH BUT NOT OUT OF LIMITS, SO THE PACK WAS TAKEN OUT OF AUTO AND SWITCHED TO MANUAL OP. THE RPTR STATED THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THE CABIN HAS A STRONG SMELL OF RUBBER AND LATER RPTED THE L SIDEWALL WAS VERY HOT SO THE L PACK WAS SWITCHED OFF. THE RPTR SAID THE FLC WAS NOT AWARE THE R SIDEWALL WAS ALSO HOT. THE RPTR SAID ON THE GND WHEN MAINT CHKED THE ACFT IT WAS DETERMINED THE R MIXING VALVE HAD FAILED IN THE HOT SECTOR AND ONE OTHER CHK VALVE HAD FAILED IN THE PACK SYS. THE RPTR STATED THE CHK VALVE THAT FAILED WAS NOT NAMED BY THE MECHS.

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.