Narrative:

Location: 30W central atlantic ocean. In the dead center of the atlantic near our single etp we noticed an electrical smell in the cabin. Quickly isolated it to seats 3A/B and shortly thereafter saw smoke from the 3A/B center console. Smoke from a known source. Yet a source that has no mention in our manuals -- no switches to turn off, no circuit breakers outside of the east&east compartment, and no procedure to solve. The closet procedure is the smoke from an unknown source which cuts off busses from utility to AC to dc to standby. We must assume, with no further information at hand, that the utility busses would cut power to the entertainment system. Via satcom link to maintenance, we were able to cut electrical power to seats 3A/B by using a phillips screwdriver to remove a cover under the seats and disconnect a canon plug. Problem solved. Resources we could have used besides the luck of having satcom would have been accessible switches or circuit breakers to deactivate all or parts of the entertainment system -- a clearly marked cover under the seat that could be removed without tools to access the canon plug and some information to help us cope with ever more complex cabin electronics. While the broad ax solution of cutting utility power probably would have been enough by itself, we can do better than that with a little effort, information, and training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 DEALS WITH CABIN SMOKE AND FUMES OVER MID ATLANTIC.

Narrative: LOCATION: 30W CENTRAL ATLANTIC OCEAN. IN THE DEAD CENTER OF THE ATLANTIC NEAR OUR SINGLE ETP WE NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL IN THE CABIN. QUICKLY ISOLATED IT TO SEATS 3A/B AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER SAW SMOKE FROM THE 3A/B CENTER CONSOLE. SMOKE FROM A KNOWN SOURCE. YET A SOURCE THAT HAS NO MENTION IN OUR MANUALS -- NO SWITCHES TO TURN OFF, NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS OUTSIDE OF THE E&E COMPARTMENT, AND NO PROC TO SOLVE. THE CLOSET PROC IS THE SMOKE FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE WHICH CUTS OFF BUSSES FROM UTILITY TO AC TO DC TO STANDBY. WE MUST ASSUME, WITH NO FURTHER INFO AT HAND, THAT THE UTILITY BUSSES WOULD CUT PWR TO THE ENTERTAINMENT SYS. VIA SATCOM LINK TO MAINT, WE WERE ABLE TO CUT ELECTRICAL PWR TO SEATS 3A/B BY USING A PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER TO REMOVE A COVER UNDER THE SEATS AND DISCONNECT A CANON PLUG. PROB SOLVED. RESOURCES WE COULD HAVE USED BESIDES THE LUCK OF HAVING SATCOM WOULD HAVE BEEN ACCESSIBLE SWITCHES OR CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO DEACTIVATE ALL OR PARTS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT SYS -- A CLRLY MARKED COVER UNDER THE SEAT THAT COULD BE REMOVED WITHOUT TOOLS TO ACCESS THE CANON PLUG AND SOME INFO TO HELP US COPE WITH EVER MORE COMPLEX CABIN ELECTRONICS. WHILE THE BROAD AX SOLUTION OF CUTTING UTILITY PWR PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH BY ITSELF, WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT WITH A LITTLE EFFORT, INFO, AND TRAINING.

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.