Narrative:

At approximately XA00Z at FL330 and 40 NM north of bna, we had a foul noxious odor in the cockpit. Checking with the first class flight attendants, we found that they also had a burning sulfur-like odor in the cabin. They quickly checked to be sure that the odor was not coming from the ovens or from someone smoking in the lavatories. The odor was overpwring, so the decision was made to divert into bna. ATC was notified. First officer flew the airplane while I ran the checklists. The time from the first smell to touchdown was approximately 12 mins. While in the descent, I informed the flight attendants that we might need to do an emergency evacuate/evacuation and to prepare the cabin. After landing, I waited to see if the smell would dissipate. After about 1 min the smell was getting stronger -- I gave the order to evacuate/evacuation. Our flight attendants did an outstanding job. I talked with the passenger at the emergency wing exits and they were briefed and understood what they had to do perfectly. The aircraft was evacuate/evacuationed in excellent time, with only minor injuries. Our flight attendants were calm, professional and completely in charge of the situation. Once the passenger were off the aircraft, they were moved to a safe distance and the flight attendants started evaluating and helping those who had minor scrapes and bruises. Supplemental information from acn 513068: the aircraft was evacuate/evacuationed rapidly with only minor injuries to less than a dozen passenger. The passenger were grouped together off the runway on either side of the aircraft. We took the names of the injured and directed them to the emt's, while we tried to calm the rest of the passenger. Busses came to bring the passenger to the terminal about 1 hour after we touched down. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: first officer reporter said that he later found out that the fumes came from an overheated wire bundle that supplied current to the L2 cockpit window for in-flight heating. Apparently the circuit breakers had not opened to cut the electrical from the errant power source. He also stated that when he entered the cabin during the evacuate/evacuation on the ground, passenger were all lined up in rows waiting to use the port side exits while the starboard exits were completely free. He directed passenger to use those exits as well. The aircraft had been carrying a full load of passenger. Some passenger hurt their fingers when their rings would catch on a hinge or a part of the aircraft. Others hurt themselves at the bottom of the chute due to a higher than expected descent rate. This is caused by the extra tall landing gear on the B757, making it a problem for passenger to keep their balance on the last part of their ride. This shows the need for monitors at the bottom of the chute to assist the passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLC EVACS A FULLY LOADED ACFT AFTER MAKING A DIVERSION AND AN EMER LNDG DUE TO TOXIC FUMES IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN 40 MI N OF BNA, TN.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00Z AT FL330 AND 40 NM N OF BNA, WE HAD A FOUL NOXIOUS ODOR IN THE COCKPIT. CHKING WITH THE FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS, WE FOUND THAT THEY ALSO HAD A BURNING SULFUR-LIKE ODOR IN THE CABIN. THEY QUICKLY CHKED TO BE SURE THAT THE ODOR WAS NOT COMING FROM THE OVENS OR FROM SOMEONE SMOKING IN THE LAVATORIES. THE ODOR WAS OVERPWRING, SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT INTO BNA. ATC WAS NOTIFIED. FO FLEW THE AIRPLANE WHILE I RAN THE CHKLISTS. THE TIME FROM THE FIRST SMELL TO TOUCHDOWN WAS APPROX 12 MINS. WHILE IN THE DSCNT, I INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO DO AN EMER EVAC AND TO PREPARE THE CABIN. AFTER LNDG, I WAITED TO SEE IF THE SMELL WOULD DISSIPATE. AFTER ABOUT 1 MIN THE SMELL WAS GETTING STRONGER -- I GAVE THE ORDER TO EVAC. OUR FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. I TALKED WITH THE PAX AT THE EMER WING EXITS AND THEY WERE BRIEFED AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY HAD TO DO PERFECTLY. THE ACFT WAS EVACED IN EXCELLENT TIME, WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES. OUR FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CALM, PROFESSIONAL AND COMPLETELY IN CHARGE OF THE SIT. ONCE THE PAX WERE OFF THE ACFT, THEY WERE MOVED TO A SAFE DISTANCE AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS STARTED EVALUATING AND HELPING THOSE WHO HAD MINOR SCRAPES AND BRUISES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 513068: THE ACFT WAS EVACED RAPIDLY WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES TO LESS THAN A DOZEN PAX. THE PAX WERE GROUPED TOGETHER OFF THE RWY ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ACFT. WE TOOK THE NAMES OF THE INJURED AND DIRECTED THEM TO THE EMT'S, WHILE WE TRIED TO CALM THE REST OF THE PAX. BUSSES CAME TO BRING THE PAX TO THE TERMINAL ABOUT 1 HR AFTER WE TOUCHED DOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO RPTR SAID THAT HE LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE FUMES CAME FROM AN OVERHEATED WIRE BUNDLE THAT SUPPLIED CURRENT TO THE L2 COCKPIT WINDOW FOR INFLT HEATING. APPARENTLY THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD NOT OPENED TO CUT THE ELECTRICAL FROM THE ERRANT PWR SOURCE. HE ALSO STATED THAT WHEN HE ENTERED THE CABIN DURING THE EVAC ON THE GND, PAX WERE ALL LINED UP IN ROWS WAITING TO USE THE PORT SIDE EXITS WHILE THE STARBOARD EXITS WERE COMPLETELY FREE. HE DIRECTED PAX TO USE THOSE EXITS AS WELL. THE ACFT HAD BEEN CARRYING A FULL LOAD OF PAX. SOME PAX HURT THEIR FINGERS WHEN THEIR RINGS WOULD CATCH ON A HINGE OR A PART OF THE ACFT. OTHERS HURT THEMSELVES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHUTE DUE TO A HIGHER THAN EXPECTED DSCNT RATE. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE EXTRA TALL LNDG GEAR ON THE B757, MAKING IT A PROB FOR PAX TO KEEP THEIR BAL ON THE LAST PART OF THEIR RIDE. THIS SHOWS THE NEED FOR MONITORS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHUTE TO ASSIST THE PAX.

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.