Narrative:

In cruise flight, we had visible smoke in the cockpit. I told everyone to get on oxygen and goggles. The first officer was then finding the nearest airport and the so and I started the emergency smoke and fire checklist. The smoke stopped when the air condition recirculation fans were turned off. Because we were over water and the nearest airport was 45 mins away we continued on our track wbound. No new smoke came about as we got closer to land. We talked to maintenance and dispatch and went on the destination. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated when the smoke was discovered the recirculation fans were switched off and the air conditioning packs were isolated. The reporter said switching off the #3 air conditioning pack caused the smoke to dissipate. The reporter stated the exact component that failed on the #3 air conditioning pack is unknown but the air cycle machine is suspect. Callback conversation with reporter acn 516860 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the visible smoke was isolated to #3 air conditioning pack. The reporter said with the input from maintenance and dispatch the decision was made to continue on their present track. The reporter said the airplane was 45 mins from their destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 IN CRUISE AT FL310, OVERWATER, 45 MINS FROM DEST HAS VISIBLE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. CAUSED BY FAILED #3 AIR CONDITIONING PACK.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT, WE HAD VISIBLE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. I TOLD EVERYONE TO GET ON OXYGEN AND GOGGLES. THE FO WAS THEN FINDING THE NEAREST ARPT AND THE SO AND I STARTED THE EMER SMOKE AND FIRE CHKLIST. THE SMOKE STOPPED WHEN THE AIR CONDITION RECIRCULATION FANS WERE TURNED OFF. BECAUSE WE WERE OVER WATER AND THE NEAREST ARPT WAS 45 MINS AWAY WE CONTINUED ON OUR TRACK WBOUND. NO NEW SMOKE CAME ABOUT AS WE GOT CLOSER TO LAND. WE TALKED TO MAINT AND DISPATCH AND WENT ON THE DEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE SMOKE WAS DISCOVERED THE RECIRCULATION FANS WERE SWITCHED OFF AND THE AIR CONDITIONING PACKS WERE ISOLATED. THE RPTR SAID SWITCHING OFF THE #3 AIR CONDITIONING PACK CAUSED THE SMOKE TO DISSIPATE. THE RPTR STATED THE EXACT COMPONENT THAT FAILED ON THE #3 AIR CONDITIONING PACK IS UNKNOWN BUT THE AIR CYCLE MACHINE IS SUSPECT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 516860 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE VISIBLE SMOKE WAS ISOLATED TO #3 AIR CONDITIONING PACK. THE RPTR SAID WITH THE INPUT FROM MAINT AND DISPATCH THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE ON THEIR PRESENT TRACK. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS 45 MINS FROM THEIR DEST.

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.