Flight attendant report, DC10-10, hnl-sfo, electrical fire smell and fumes, return to hnl. Emergency evacuate/evacuation preparation. Landed without incident.

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Attributes
ACN	444040
Time
Date	199907
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa.artcc
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 10
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 32 flight attendant time total : 32 flight attendant time type : 90
ASRS Report	444040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Approximately 1 1/2 hours after takeoff, we smelled a 'burning electrical' smell around row X to row a and notified captain. The flight engineer came back and the smell was stronger. She reported to the captain, who came back to check. All air conditioning recirculation fans and other electrical were turned off and captain made decision to return to hnl. He informed us to prepare for planned evacuate/evacuation. Passenger were briefed and our checklists completed prior to uneventful landing in hnl. Even with several electrical system turned off, smell of burning electrical was still very strong in cabin at time of landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the electrical smell turned out to be the result of sloppy, careless maintenance. A mechanic must have put regular duct tape, instead of electrical tape, over the duct next to the air conditioning motor. The tape fried up like crisp bacon, thus the source of electrical fire fumes. Maintenance found the cause of the problem a whole day later, after taking the plane OTS overnight, and laying over the crew and the passenger. The cabin crew thoroughly prepared the cabin for evacuate/evacuation, including the choosing of 'helpers.' the captain kept everyone informed, and there was no panic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, DC10-10, HNL-SFO, ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL AND FUMES, RETURN TO HNL. EMER EVAC PREPARATION. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Narrative: APPROX 1 1/2 HRS AFTER TKOF, WE SMELLED A 'BURNING ELECTRICAL' SMELL AROUND ROW X TO ROW A AND NOTIFIED CAPT. THE FE CAME BACK AND THE SMELL WAS STRONGER. SHE RPTED TO THE CAPT, WHO CAME BACK TO CHK. ALL AIR CONDITIONING RECIRCULATION FANS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL WERE TURNED OFF AND CAPT MADE DECISION TO RETURN TO HNL. HE INFORMED US TO PREPARE FOR PLANNED EVAC. PAX WERE BRIEFED AND OUR CHKLISTS COMPLETED PRIOR TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN HNL. EVEN WITH SEVERAL ELECTRICAL SYS TURNED OFF, SMELL OF BURNING ELECTRICAL WAS STILL VERY STRONG IN CABIN AT TIME OF LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SMELL TURNED OUT TO BE THE RESULT OF SLOPPY, CARELESS MAINT. A MECH MUST HAVE PUT REGULAR DUCT TAPE, INSTEAD OF ELECTRICAL TAPE, OVER THE DUCT NEXT TO THE AIR CONDITIONING MOTOR. THE TAPE FRIED UP LIKE CRISP BACON, THUS THE SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL FIRE FUMES. MAINT FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE PROB A WHOLE DAY LATER, AFTER TAKING THE PLANE OTS OVERNIGHT, AND LAYING OVER THE CREW AND THE PAX. THE CABIN CREW THOROUGHLY PREPARED THE CABIN FOR EVAC, INCLUDING THE CHOOSING OF 'HELPERS.' THE CAPT KEPT EVERYONE INFORMED, AND THERE WAS NO PANIC.

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.