Narrative:

Morning departure to atl from bos. Full aircraft. First officer flying logan 2 departure. Heading 270 degrees, climbing out of 10000 ft for 14000 ft assigned. Forward equipment smoke EICAS. Began procedure. Aircraft smoke on overhead, followed by numerous EICAS, including forward equipment overheat. Went to smoke of fire procedure. Noticed some electrical smell. Donned oxygen mask, declared an emergency with boston. Requested immediate return and landing. Excellent handling. On the ground in less than 8 mins. Crash fire rescue equipment crew inspected -- no fire. Taxied to gate for normal deplaning. Maintenance found a whole string of messages, EICAS alert, etc. Aircraft had minor alerts history dating back some time. Problem perplexed maintenance. Aircraft spend the night. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B757-200 and had previous log reports of forward compartment overheat EICAS alerts. The reporter said the first alert was an EICAS message 'forward equipment overheat' then the 'smoke' light on the overhead panel and finally an EICAS message 'forward equipment smoke.' the reporter stated at this time the first flight attendant reported smelling something. The reporter said an emergency was declared and the aircraft was immediately returned to the field. The reporter said the fire department inspected the airplane with a scanner and no hot spots were detected so the aircraft was taxied to the gate. The reporter said maintenance could find nothing malfunctioning so the airplane was removed from service and was worked on overnight. The reporter stated maintenance found a forward compartment smoke detector malfunctioning and replaced the detector and an overheat unit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 ON CLBOUT AT 10000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO EICAS MESSAGES AND A SMOKE WARNING LIGHT CAUSED BY SMOKE DETECTOR FAILURE.

Narrative: MORNING DEP TO ATL FROM BOS. FULL ACFT. FO FLYING LOGAN 2 DEP. HDG 270 DEGS, CLBING OUT OF 10000 FT FOR 14000 FT ASSIGNED. FORWARD EQUIP SMOKE EICAS. BEGAN PROC. ACFT SMOKE ON OVERHEAD, FOLLOWED BY NUMEROUS EICAS, INCLUDING FORWARD EQUIP OVERHEAT. WENT TO SMOKE OF FIRE PROC. NOTICED SOME ELECTRICAL SMELL. DONNED OXYGEN MASK, DECLARED AN EMER WITH BOSTON. REQUESTED IMMEDIATE RETURN AND LNDG. EXCELLENT HANDLING. ON THE GND IN LESS THAN 8 MINS. CFR CREW INSPECTED -- NO FIRE. TAXIED TO GATE FOR NORMAL DEPLANING. MAINT FOUND A WHOLE STRING OF MESSAGES, EICAS ALERT, ETC. ACFT HAD MINOR ALERTS HISTORY DATING BACK SOME TIME. PROB PERPLEXED MAINT. ACFT SPEND THE NIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B757-200 AND HAD PREVIOUS LOG RPTS OF FORWARD COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT EICAS ALERTS. THE RPTR SAID THE FIRST ALERT WAS AN EICAS MESSAGE 'FORWARD EQUIP OVERHEAT' THEN THE 'SMOKE' LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL AND FINALLY AN EICAS MESSAGE 'FORWARD EQUIP SMOKE.' THE RPTR STATED AT THIS TIME THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT RPTED SMELLING SOMETHING. THE RPTR SAID AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE FIELD. THE RPTR SAID THE FIRE DEPT INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE WITH A SCANNER AND NO HOT SPOTS WERE DETECTED SO THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO THE GATE. THE RPTR SAID MAINT COULD FIND NOTHING MALFUNCTIONING SO THE AIRPLANE WAS REMOVED FROM SVC AND WAS WORKED ON OVERNIGHT. THE RPTR STATED MAINT FOUND A FORWARD COMPARTMENT SMOKE DETECTOR MALFUNCTIONING AND REPLACED THE DETECTOR AND AN OVERHEAT UNIT.

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.