Narrative:

During taxi to the departure runway, the FMS CDU went completely dark and 2 blue advisory cas messages appeared in the cas field. These were FMS CDU inoperative and FMS inoperative. We elected to park the aircraft on the main ramp to address the problem. After talking with the maintenance controller and troubleshooting the system it was decided to MEL the FMS unit. A write-up was completed and the system MEL'ed. I asked maintenance control if the FMS CDU circuit breaker needed to be pulled and collared and he stated that it was not a requirement of the MEL and did not have to be pulled. I read the MEL and concurred with him. We continued our taxi and had a normal departure. While climbing to our cruise altitude (FL240) I started to smell something out of the ordinary. I asked the first officer if he smelled anything and he stated he did not. While continuing the climb and passing through approximately FL190 I started to smell it again and it smelled like an electrical odor. I again asked the first officer if he smelled something and this time, he said yes. I had the first officer ask for a level off at FL200 which was granted by ATC. I then contacted the flight attendant and asked him if he smelled anything in the cabin like an electrical odor. He did a cabin walk-through and said that he smelled nothing unusual in the aircraft cabin. I then decided that the smell was confined to the cockpit. I touched the FMS unit and it was very hot to the touch so I decided to pull the FMS CDU circuit breaker. I then established contact with the maintenance controller and described out situation and our actions. I told him that we only had an odor and at no time did the flight crew experience smoke in the aircraft. As we discussed our condition the smell lessened and was no longer noticeable. The maintenance controller said he thought it was the deferred FMS unit overheating and the pulled circuit breaker seemed to fix the problem. The first officer and I then decided the flight could continue safely to azo. The maintenance controller and dispatcher agreed and we continued the flight. The maintenance controller said to call back if we had any further problems and to give him a call on the ground at azo. The continuation of the flight was uneventful and a normal landing was made in azo. Once in azo, I called maintenance control and we again discussed what took place in flight. I asked him if an additional write-up was required for the electrical odor and circuit breaker and he said no, that the original write-up and deferral covered the situation. I was instructed to put a collar on the FMS CDU circuit breaker and that maintenance would replace the FMS unit in pit the following day. The first officer then collared the appropriate circuit breaker and we secured the aircraft for the run. After further discussion 2 days later, it was decided by the company and FAA that an additional write-up was required and that the maintenance controller and myself were incorrect. So, I inadvertently did not enter the additional write-up in the maintenance logbook. In the future I will attempt to write up maintenance discrepancies before I talk to maintenance so I am not talked into a similar situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT TURBOPROP COMMUTER FLC SMELLED FUMES IN THE COCKPIT, AND FOUND THAT THE FMC UNIT WHICH WAS VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH, SO PULLED THE FMC CDU CIRCUIT BREAKER. FUMES AND HEAT WENT AWAY AND THEY CONTINUED TO DEST. HOWEVER, THEY FAILED TO WRITE UP THEIR ACTION IN THE ACFT LOG AT THE DIRECTION OF THE MAINT CTLR AND SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECORDED.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO THE DEP RWY, THE FMS CDU WENT COMPLETELY DARK AND 2 BLUE ADVISORY CAS MESSAGES APPEARED IN THE CAS FIELD. THESE WERE FMS CDU INOP AND FMS INOP. WE ELECTED TO PARK THE ACFT ON THE MAIN RAMP TO ADDRESS THE PROB. AFTER TALKING WITH THE MAINT CTLR AND TROUBLESHOOTING THE SYS IT WAS DECIDED TO MEL THE FMS UNIT. A WRITE-UP WAS COMPLETED AND THE SYS MEL'ED. I ASKED MAINT CTL IF THE FMS CDU CIRCUIT BREAKER NEEDED TO BE PULLED AND COLLARED AND HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF THE MEL AND DID NOT HAVE TO BE PULLED. I READ THE MEL AND CONCURRED WITH HIM. WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI AND HAD A NORMAL DEP. WHILE CLBING TO OUR CRUISE ALT (FL240) I STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I ASKED THE FO IF HE SMELLED ANYTHING AND HE STATED HE DID NOT. WHILE CONTINUING THE CLB AND PASSING THROUGH APPROX FL190 I STARTED TO SMELL IT AGAIN AND IT SMELLED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL ODOR. I AGAIN ASKED THE FO IF HE SMELLED SOMETHING AND THIS TIME, HE SAID YES. I HAD THE FO ASK FOR A LEVEL OFF AT FL200 WHICH WAS GRANTED BY ATC. I THEN CONTACTED THE FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED HIM IF HE SMELLED ANYTHING IN THE CABIN LIKE AN ELECTRICAL ODOR. HE DID A CABIN WALK-THROUGH AND SAID THAT HE SMELLED NOTHING UNUSUAL IN THE ACFT CABIN. I THEN DECIDED THAT THE SMELL WAS CONFINED TO THE COCKPIT. I TOUCHED THE FMS UNIT AND IT WAS VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH SO I DECIDED TO PULL THE FMS CDU CIRCUIT BREAKER. I THEN ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE MAINT CTLR AND DESCRIBED OUT SIT AND OUR ACTIONS. I TOLD HIM THAT WE ONLY HAD AN ODOR AND AT NO TIME DID THE FLC EXPERIENCE SMOKE IN THE ACFT. AS WE DISCUSSED OUR CONDITION THE SMELL LESSENED AND WAS NO LONGER NOTICEABLE. THE MAINT CTLR SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE DEFERRED FMS UNIT OVERHEATING AND THE PULLED CIRCUIT BREAKER SEEMED TO FIX THE PROB. THE FO AND I THEN DECIDED THE FLT COULD CONTINUE SAFELY TO AZO. THE MAINT CTLR AND DISPATCHER AGREED AND WE CONTINUED THE FLT. THE MAINT CTLR SAID TO CALL BACK IF WE HAD ANY FURTHER PROBS AND TO GIVE HIM A CALL ON THE GND AT AZO. THE CONTINUATION OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE IN AZO. ONCE IN AZO, I CALLED MAINT CTL AND WE AGAIN DISCUSSED WHAT TOOK PLACE IN FLT. I ASKED HIM IF AN ADDITIONAL WRITE-UP WAS REQUIRED FOR THE ELECTRICAL ODOR AND CIRCUIT BREAKER AND HE SAID NO, THAT THE ORIGINAL WRITE-UP AND DEFERRAL COVERED THE SIT. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO PUT A COLLAR ON THE FMS CDU CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THAT MAINT WOULD REPLACE THE FMS UNIT IN PIT THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE FO THEN COLLARED THE APPROPRIATE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND WE SECURED THE ACFT FOR THE RUN. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION 2 DAYS LATER, IT WAS DECIDED BY THE COMPANY AND FAA THAT AN ADDITIONAL WRITE-UP WAS REQUIRED AND THAT THE MAINT CTLR AND MYSELF WERE INCORRECT. SO, I INADVERTENTLY DID NOT ENTER THE ADDITIONAL WRITE-UP IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. IN THE FUTURE I WILL ATTEMPT TO WRITE UP MAINT DISCREPANCIES BEFORE I TALK TO MAINT SO I AM NOT TALKED INTO A SIMILAR SIT.

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.