Narrative:

En route ewr/lhr (B777) at cruise, purser reports to me an intermittent smell of kerosene at door 2R. Several flight attendants confirmed report and complained of burning eyes. Copilot reports to me intermittent smell of kerosene at doors 2L and 2R. I went to the cabin and confirmed the smell that was reported to me. I had the flight attendants inspect overhead bins and under passenger seats for any possible spillage. I contacted dispatch and maintenance. After doing some troubleshooting, the purser reported that odors got stronger. We dumped fuel and diverted to gander (yqx). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after landing the crew and passenger went to a hotel for a crew rest. The company ferried in another aircraft and a team of mechanics. When the crew returned to the airport, maintenance had done a complete inspection of the aircraft, the cabin, the cargo pit area, and the cargo. The only thing found was a recirculating fan had tripped off. Maintenance speculated that a bad fan bearing may cause an odor. Nothing was found in the cargo carried in the pits, or in the cabin. The captain has submitted all required company reports to his airline flight safety department. He has requested feedback on what was found, however, he has not heard anything.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CREW DIVERTED INTO YQX WHEN A KEROSENE ODOR WAS DETECTED IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: ENRTE EWR/LHR (B777) AT CRUISE, PURSER RPTS TO ME AN INTERMITTENT SMELL OF KEROSENE AT DOOR 2R. SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED RPT AND COMPLAINED OF BURNING EYES. COPLT RPTS TO ME INTERMITTENT SMELL OF KEROSENE AT DOORS 2L AND 2R. I WENT TO THE CABIN AND CONFIRMED THE SMELL THAT WAS RPTED TO ME. I HAD THE FLT ATTENDANTS INSPECT OVERHEAD BINS AND UNDER PAX SEATS FOR ANY POSSIBLE SPILLAGE. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT. AFTER DOING SOME TROUBLESHOOTING, THE PURSER RPTED THAT ODORS GOT STRONGER. WE DUMPED FUEL AND DIVERTED TO GANDER (YQX). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER LNDG THE CREW AND PAX WENT TO A HOTEL FOR A CREW REST. THE COMPANY FERRIED IN ANOTHER ACFT AND A TEAM OF MECHS. WHEN THE CREW RETURNED TO THE ARPT, MAINT HAD DONE A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF THE ACFT, THE CABIN, THE CARGO PIT AREA, AND THE CARGO. THE ONLY THING FOUND WAS A RECIRCULATING FAN HAD TRIPPED OFF. MAINT SPECULATED THAT A BAD FAN BEARING MAY CAUSE AN ODOR. NOTHING WAS FOUND IN THE CARGO CARRIED IN THE PITS, OR IN THE CABIN. THE CAPT HAS SUBMITTED ALL REQUIRED COMPANY RPTS TO HIS AIRLINE FLT SAFETY DEPT. HE HAS REQUESTED FEEDBACK ON WHAT WAS FOUND, HOWEVER, HE HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING.

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.