Air carrier crew declares emergency and diverts to land due to strong electrical odor in cabin in ZA...

Attributes
ACN	428863
Time
Date	199902
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq.airport
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl single value : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	428863
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : cab 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight was en route from lax to dfw. Flight attendant in charge indicated that there was a strange odor in the cabin, noticed by all passenger and flight attendants at the same time, and in all sections of the cabin. The pilots accomplished the 'smoke identify/removal' checklist which is also recommended for removal of fumes. As part of the procedure, both utility buses and both recirculation fans were depwred. Fumes went from moderate to light, and seemed to be electrical in nature, with an ozone type odor. We felt that we had probably removed the source of the fumes, but they did not seem to fully dissipate. By this time, the aircraft was within 100 NM of lbb, and an emergency landing was made there. All passenger were deplaned through a jetway. No injuries or sickness was reported. During the entire event, there were no abnormal indications of any kind in the cockpit. Mechanics were flown out from dfw and confirmed the source of the fumes as the right recirculation fan. The fan was secured, and the aircraft was flown to dfw without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW DECLARES EMER AND DIVERTS TO LAND DUE TO STRONG ELECTRICAL ODOR IN CABIN IN ZAB AIRSPACE.

Narrative: FLT WAS ENRTE FROM LAX TO DFW. FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A STRANGE ODOR IN THE CABIN, NOTICED BY ALL PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS AT THE SAME TIME, AND IN ALL SECTIONS OF THE CABIN. THE PLTS ACCOMPLISHED THE 'SMOKE IDENT/REMOVAL' CHKLIST WHICH IS ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR REMOVAL OF FUMES. AS PART OF THE PROC, BOTH UTILITY BUSES AND BOTH RECIRCULATION FANS WERE DEPWRED. FUMES WENT FROM MODERATE TO LIGHT, AND SEEMED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE, WITH AN OZONE TYPE ODOR. WE FELT THAT WE HAD PROBABLY REMOVED THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES, BUT THEY DID NOT SEEM TO FULLY DISSIPATE. BY THIS TIME, THE ACFT WAS WITHIN 100 NM OF LBB, AND AN EMER LNDG WAS MADE THERE. ALL PAX WERE DEPLANED THROUGH A JETWAY. NO INJURIES OR SICKNESS WAS RPTED. DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT, THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS OF ANY KIND IN THE COCKPIT. MECHS WERE FLOWN OUT FROM DFW AND CONFIRMED THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES AS THE R RECIRCULATION FAN. THE FAN WAS SECURED, AND THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO DFW WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.

Air carrier crew declares emergency and diverts to land due to strong electrical odor in cabin in ZAB airspace.