MD80 crew returned to the departure station with burning rubber fumes in the cabin at ord.

Attributes
ACN	563296
Time
Date	200210
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	563296
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Burning rubber smell after takeoff. We left the gate and used both engines for initial taxi then shut down the right to conserve fuel after leaving the ramp area. We restarted the right engine about 4 mins before takeoff on runway 22L ord. At 5000 ft on the climb out still maintaining climb power the flight attendant in the rear of the aircraft chimed me to say they smelled burning rubber in the rear of the aircraft. A quick scan of the engines revealed nothing. They said there was no smoke but believe the source was from the right side of the aircraft. I shut off the right pack, and the recirculating fan and leveled at 9000 ft. About 1 min later they still smelled the burning rubber but didn't think it was as bad. I decided to return to ord and asked for priority handling. About another min later the flight attendants informed me they definitely smelled the burning rubber again. I declared an emergency as I was overweight, 132000 pounds, and landed on runway 9R in ord and had the arff meet the aircraft. We cleared the runway and after a thorough chkout taxied to the gate, with a fire truck in trail. Once we cleared the runway I shut down the right engine. We completed our single engine taxi without starting the APU to the gate and no further action was required.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW RETURNED TO THE DEP STATION WITH BURNING RUBBER FUMES IN THE CABIN AT ORD.

Narrative: BURNING RUBBER SMELL AFTER TKOF. WE LEFT THE GATE AND USED BOTH ENGS FOR INITIAL TAXI THEN SHUT DOWN THE R TO CONSERVE FUEL AFTER LEAVING THE RAMP AREA. WE RESTARTED THE R ENG ABOUT 4 MINS BEFORE TKOF ON RWY 22L ORD. AT 5000 FT ON THE CLBOUT STILL MAINTAINING CLB PWR THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT CHIMED ME TO SAY THEY SMELLED BURNING RUBBER IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. A QUICK SCAN OF THE ENGS REVEALED NOTHING. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SMOKE BUT BELIEVE THE SOURCE WAS FROM THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. I SHUT OFF THE R PACK, AND THE RECIRCULATING FAN AND LEVELED AT 9000 FT. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER THEY STILL SMELLED THE BURNING RUBBER BUT DIDN'T THINK IT WAS AS BAD. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO ORD AND ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING. ABOUT ANOTHER MIN LATER THE FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED ME THEY DEFINITELY SMELLED THE BURNING RUBBER AGAIN. I DECLARED AN EMER AS I WAS OVERWT, 132000 LBS, AND LANDED ON RWY 9R IN ORD AND HAD THE ARFF MEET THE ACFT. WE CLRED THE RWY AND AFTER A THOROUGH CHKOUT TAXIED TO THE GATE, WITH A FIRE TRUCK IN TRAIL. ONCE WE CLRED THE RWY I SHUT DOWN THE R ENG. WE COMPLETED OUR SINGLE ENG TAXI WITHOUT STARTING THE APU TO THE GATE AND NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED.

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.