Narrative:

I was the relief pilot that located/isolated the smoke/fumes coming from the rockwell collins passenger entertainment system located just aft of the cockpit. I want to comment on a few of the events of this incident. One problem that I encountered was securing power to the unit. I turned off both red covered power switches located next to the 'smoking' unit. The lights on the unit did not go out, so I was unable to determine if the power had been secured. I recommend a procedure be placed in our pom with all circuit breaker/power switch locations to expedite powering down this equipment. Also, I recommend moving both red covered power switches out of the closet and into the cockpit. If there would have been flames, it would have been very difficult getting access to these switches. Another problem was that after I had secured both red covered switches and went into the cockpit to brief the captain and then opened the cockpit door to check on the situation, I saw 'smoke' pouring out of the top of the unit again. For some reason a flight attendant turned both switches back on to retrieve the videos! There seems to be a procedure in effect that makes a flight attendant responsible for the videos being returned to the 'black box.' if I have this problem again, I would do two things different: 1) have portable breathing equipment (pbe) with me. If the smoke/fumes had got worse, I would have had to stop fighting the 'fire' to retrieve the pbe. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the unit in question, the rockwell collins passenger entertainment unit, was an 'add on' fixture for powering the screens on the passenger seats on the older 767-300's. Reporter stated that they are the same unit as the one on the md-11 that crashed off nova scotia. The red covered power switches located within the closet are the only way of disabling the power to the unit. There is no control switch in the cockpit. The problem encountered here, aside from the flight attendant turning the unit back on for tape retrieval, was that there is a battery power pack located within the unit that powers the unit back up after main circuit power is removed. This is to allow the unit to run through a 'down cycle' for a 3 to 5 minute period. The reporter claims that the cause of the unit overheating was a basic design flaw and possible inadequate cabin maintenance. The cabinet has a space behind it that allows trash and miscellaneous items to fall behind it, blocking the vents and allowing it to overheat. Behind this one they found 4 video tapes, 4 magazines, coat hangers and 4 inches of dust. The company that installed these units has made periodical visits to these aircraft, calling them 'confidence checks.' one representative was quoted as saying these units were 'unreliable.' the newer 767-300 have a redesigned unit that does not have a 'drop zone' behind it. The chief pilot wanted a report. The crew sent in reports to the union safety group as well. The circuits to the unit were disabled and the aircraft returned to the us for corrective measures. There appeared to be a lack of communication between the relief pilot and the flight attendant. She wanted the power on, it was needed for tape retrieval. The reporter claims that this was important to the flight attendant as the company has a mandate out that flight attendants may be fined, given time off, or dismissed if the tapes are not returned to their holders.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM ON A B767-300ER FLT OVERHEATS AND EMANATES SMOKE AND FUMES WHILE 350 WEST OF ZZZ, FO.

Narrative: I WAS THE RELIEF PLT THAT LOCATED/ISOLATED THE SMOKE/FUMES COMING FROM THE ROCKWELL COLLINS PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM LOCATED JUST AFT OF THE COCKPIT. I WANT TO COMMENT ON A FEW OF THE EVENTS OF THIS INCIDENT. ONE PROB THAT I ENCOUNTERED WAS SECURING POWER TO THE UNIT. I TURNED OFF BOTH RED COVERED POWER SWITCHES LOCATED NEXT TO THE 'SMOKING' UNIT. THE LIGHTS ON THE UNIT DID NOT GO OUT, SO I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE POWER HAD BEEN SECURED. I RECOMMEND A PROCEDURE BE PLACED IN OUR POM WITH ALL CB/POWER SWITCH LOCATIONS TO EXPEDITE POWERING DOWN THIS EQUIP. ALSO, I RECOMMEND MOVING BOTH RED COVERED POWER SWITCHES OUT OF THE CLOSET AND INTO THE COCKPIT. IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN FLAMES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT GETTING ACCESS TO THESE SWITCHES. ANOTHER PROBLEM WAS THAT AFTER I HAD SECURED BOTH RED COVERED SWITCHES AND WENT INTO THE COCKPIT TO BRIEF THE CAPT AND THEN OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR TO CHECK ON THE SIT, I SAW 'SMOKE' POURING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE UNIT AGAIN. FOR SOME REASON A FLT ATTENDANT TURNED BOTH SWITCHES BACK ON TO RETRIEVE THE VIDEOS! THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROCEDURE IN EFFECT THAT MAKES A FLT ATTENDANT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VIDEOS BEING RETURNED TO THE 'BLACK BOX.' IF I HAVE THIS PROB AGAIN, I WOULD DO TWO THINGS DIFFERENT: 1) HAVE PORTABLE BREATHING EQUIP (PBE) WITH ME. IF THE SMOKE/FUMES HAD GOT WORSE, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO STOP FIGHTING THE 'FIRE' TO RETRIEVE THE PBE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE UNIT IN QUESTION, THE ROCKWELL COLLINS PAX ENTERTAINMENT UNIT, WAS AN 'ADD ON' FIXTURE FOR POWERING THE SCREENS ON THE PAX SEATS ON THE OLDER 767-300'S. RPTR STATED THAT THEY ARE THE SAME UNIT AS THE ONE ON THE MD-11 THAT CRASHED OFF NOVA SCOTIA. THE RED COVERED POWER SWITCHES LOCATED WITHIN THE CLOSET ARE THE ONLY WAY OF DISABLING THE POWER TO THE UNIT. THERE IS NO CTL SWITCH IN THE COCKPIT. THE PROB ENCOUNTERED HERE, ASIDE FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT TURNING THE UNIT BACK ON FOR TAPE RETRIEVAL, WAS THAT THERE IS A BATTERY POWER PACK LOCATED WITHIN THE UNIT THAT POWERS THE UNIT BACK UP AFTER MAIN CIRCUIT POWER IS REMOVED. THIS IS TO ALLOW THE UNIT TO RUN THROUGH A 'DOWN CYCLE' FOR A 3 TO 5 MINUTE PERIOD. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT THE CAUSE OF THE UNIT OVERHEATING WAS A BASIC DESIGN FLAW AND POSSIBLE INADEQUATE CABIN MAINT. THE CABINET HAS A SPACE BEHIND IT THAT ALLOWS TRASH AND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS TO FALL BEHIND IT, BLOCKING THE VENTS AND ALLOWING IT TO OVERHEAT. BEHIND THIS ONE THEY FOUND 4 VIDEO TAPES, 4 MAGAZINES, COAT HANGERS AND 4 INCHES OF DUST. THE COMPANY THAT INSTALLED THESE UNITS HAS MADE PERIODICAL VISITS TO THESE ACFT, CALLING THEM 'CONFIDENCE CHECKS.' ONE REPRESENTATIVE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THESE UNITS WERE 'UNRELIABLE.' THE NEWER 767-300 HAVE A REDESIGNED UNIT THAT DOES NOT HAVE A 'DROP ZONE' BEHIND IT. THE CHIEF PLT WANTED A RPT. THE CREW SENT IN RPTS TO THE UNION SAFETY GROUP AS WELL. THE CIRCUITS TO THE UNIT WERE DISABLED AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE US FOR CORRECTIVE MEASURES. THERE APPEARED TO BE A LACK OF COMMUNICATION BTWN THE RELIEF PLT AND THE FLT ATTENDANT. SHE WANTED THE POWER ON, IT WAS NEEDED FOR TAPE RETRIEVAL. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO THE FLT ATTENDANT AS THE COMPANY HAS A MANDATE OUT THAT FLT ATTENDANTS MAY BE FINED, GIVEN TIME OFF, OR DISMISSED IF THE TAPES ARE NOT RETURNED TO THEIR HOLDERS.

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.