Smoke in the cockpit on an air carrier MD80.

Attributes
ACN	533880
Time
Date	200112
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc tower : cys.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	enroute airway : j75.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14750 flight time type : 12400
ASRS Report	533880
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During last phase of climb out, FL270 for FL280, smoke started 'flowing' from first officer's rudder well area. Had to use oxygen masks. Declared an emergency and returned to phl. Smoke dissipated during descent. On landing, returned to gate and passenger deplaned normally. Landing was overweight, 140000 pounds (maximum 128000 pounds). Total passenger = 139. Maintenance indicated there was a motor (possibly speed brake?) under the center pedestal that burned up and was too hot to touch. First officer and captain experienced burning of eyes and lungs from smoke. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the smoke was found to be coming from the speed brake actuator motor that is located below the cockpit pedestal. No circuit breakers popped. The smoke was at first thought to be an odor from the cabin. It was not recognized as the typical electrical fire smell. It was not visible because of reduced lighting during the night flight. When lights were turned up, the cockpit was filled with a haze of smoke, oxygen masks were used, but toxicology tests were run on the crew since there was some delay in their use. No negative problems were apparent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT ON AN ACR MD80.

Narrative: DURING LAST PHASE OF CLBOUT, FL270 FOR FL280, SMOKE STARTED 'FLOWING' FROM FO'S RUDDER WELL AREA. HAD TO USE OXYGEN MASKS. DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO PHL. SMOKE DISSIPATED DURING DSCNT. ON LNDG, RETURNED TO GATE AND PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY. LNDG WAS OVERWT, 140000 LBS (MAX 128000 LBS). TOTAL PAX = 139. MAINT INDICATED THERE WAS A MOTOR (POSSIBLY SPD BRAKE?) UNDER THE CTR PEDESTAL THAT BURNED UP AND WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH. FO AND CAPT EXPERIENCED BURNING OF EYES AND LUNGS FROM SMOKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE SMOKE WAS FOUND TO BE COMING FROM THE SPD BRAKE ACTUATOR MOTOR THAT IS LOCATED BELOW THE COCKPIT PEDESTAL. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED. THE SMOKE WAS AT FIRST THOUGHT TO BE AN ODOR FROM THE CABIN. IT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED AS THE TYPICAL ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL. IT WAS NOT VISIBLE BECAUSE OF REDUCED LIGHTING DURING THE NIGHT FLT. WHEN LIGHTS WERE TURNED UP, THE COCKPIT WAS FILLED WITH A HAZE OF SMOKE, OXYGEN MASKS WERE USED, BUT TOXICOLOGY TESTS WERE RUN ON THE CREW SINCE THERE WAS SOME DELAY IN THEIR USE. NO NEGATIVE PROBS WERE APPARENT.

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.