Narrative:

After takeoff from dfw on flight XXX on 00/10/fri, during flap retraction first officer and myself noticed intense burning odor and we donned mask/goggles. Accomplished cabin fire smoke procedure. Flight attendant 1 entered cockpit to rprt intense burning odor but no smoke in passenger cabin near row 9 and 10. Consensus was electrical equipment of unkn location was burning in lower compartment of aircraft. Odor, subsided after utility buses were turned off, returned to dfw. Made appropriate log entry and dispatch was notified inflight of our return. We landed slightly overweight, 207000 pounds and made logbook entry. Mx discovered power port convertor row 10 was inoperative and this had burned up dust accumulated in sidewall duct in that area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the source of the odor and fumes was the power port converter which shorted out and overheated and burned the dust and debris behind the return air floor grills. The reporter said the power converter is located at or just below the passenger cabin floor on the aircraft structure behind the cabin sidewall lining. The reporter stated the unit is adjacent to the cabin air return ducting and floor grills and being electrostatic collects dust and debris from the passenger cabin floor. The reporter stated at no time did any circuit breaker trip and tripping the utility bus appeared to remove power from this system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 IN CLB AT 10000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO INTENSE BURNING ODOR IN COCKPIT AND CABIN CAUSED BY A FAILED PWR PORT CONVERTER.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM DFW ON FLT XXX ON 00/10/FRI, DURING FLAP RETRACTION FO AND MYSELF NOTICED INTENSE BURNING ODOR AND WE DONNED MASK/GOGGLES. ACCOMPLISHED CABIN FIRE SMOKE PROC. FA 1 ENTERED COCKPIT TO RPRT INTENSE BURNING ODOR BUT NO SMOKE IN PAX CABIN NEAR ROW 9 AND 10. CONSENSUS WAS ELECTRICAL EQUIP OF UNKN LOCATION WAS BURNING IN LOWER COMPARTMENT OF ACFT. ODOR, SUBSIDED AFTER UTILITY BUSES WERE TURNED OFF, RETURNED TO DFW. MADE APPROPRIATE LOG ENTRY AND DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED INFLIGHT OF OUR RETURN. WE LANDED SLIGHTLY OVERWEIGHT, 207000 LBS AND MADE LOGBOOK ENTRY. MX DISCOVERED PWR PORT CONVERTOR ROW 10 WAS INOP AND THIS HAD BURNED UP DUST ACCUMULATED IN SIDEWALL DUCT IN THAT AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR AND FUMES WAS THE PWR PORT CONVERTER WHICH SHORTED OUT AND OVERHEATED AND BURNED THE DUST AND DEBRIS BEHIND THE RETURN AIR FLOOR GRILLS. THE RPTR SAID THE PWR CONVERTER IS LOCATED AT OR JUST BELOW THE PAX CABIN FLOOR ON THE ACFT STRUCTURE BEHIND THE CABIN SIDEWALL LINING. THE RPTR STATED THE UNIT IS ADJACENT TO THE CABIN AIR RETURN DUCTING AND FLOOR GRILLS AND BEING ELECTROSTATIC COLLECTS DUST AND DEBRIS FROM THE PAX CABIN FLOOR. THE RPTR STATED AT NO TIME DID ANY CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIP AND TRIPPING THE UTILITY BUS APPEARED TO REMOVE PWR FROM THIS SYS.

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.