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An MD88 captain declared an emergency and returned to land after the lead flight attendant reported smoke. The captain found his oxygen mask and smoke goggles to be substandard and reported that they interfered with communication on the flight deck, between the flight deck and the flight attendant, and with ATC.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 458741 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199912 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl.airport |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 26000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 458241 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Aircraft FAA |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Cabin and cockpit smoke from unknown origin. Flight attendant in charge notified captain of smoke in the cabin, passing FL250. Captain immediately initiated descent and a turn back to atl (the departure airport). Emergency was declared and emergency procedures were initiated. Returned to atl safely with no injuries. The present oxygen mask and goggles are grossly inadequate for smoke of any intensity. Especially disconcerting was the inability to control the flow of communication between 3 sources: ATC, the cockpit, and the cabin. Too much verbal noise and distrs to focus on the goal of getting on the ground safely. Smoke will continue to be a killer until procedures and equipment are adequately addressed with funding and commitment.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD88 CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RPTED SMOKE. THE CAPT FOUND HIS OXYGEN MASK AND SMOKE GOGGLES TO BE SUBSTANDARD AND RPTED THAT THEY INTERFERED WITH COM ON THE FLT DECK, BTWN THE FLT DECK AND THE FLT ATTENDANT, AND WITH ATC.
Narrative: CABIN AND COCKPIT SMOKE FROM UNKNOWN ORIGIN. FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE NOTIFIED CAPT OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN, PASSING FL250. CAPT IMMEDIATELY INITIATED DSCNT AND A TURN BACK TO ATL (THE DEP ARPT). EMER WAS DECLARED AND EMER PROCS WERE INITIATED. RETURNED TO ATL SAFELY WITH NO INJURIES. THE PRESENT OXYGEN MASK AND GOGGLES ARE GROSSLY INADEQUATE FOR SMOKE OF ANY INTENSITY. ESPECIALLY DISCONCERTING WAS THE INABILITY TO CTL THE FLOW OF COM BTWN 3 SOURCES: ATC, THE COCKPIT, AND THE CABIN. TOO MUCH VERBAL NOISE AND DISTRS TO FOCUS ON THE GOAL OF GETTING ON THE GND SAFELY. SMOKE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A KILLER UNTIL PROCS AND EQUIP ARE ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED WITH FUNDING AND COMMITMENT.
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.