Narrative:

During climb through 10000 ft MSL, the first officer said he noticed an 'electrical odor' or something burning. He was sitting in the right seat. At that time, I did not smell anything abnormal, but had the first officer perform the climb checks and then asked him to try and determine where the odor might be coming from. He traveled through the aircraft cabin and lavatory and reported that the smell seemed to be concentrated near the forward galley and cockpit area. When passing through approximately FL250, I began to smell what I would describe as a burning electrical wire or burning plastic. We immediately began troubleshooting the problem, beginning with environmental system (engine bleed air/acm, etc). With no definitive result from the environmental system, we continued by shutting down galley items. Finally, we shut off the entire cabin (ce-750 provides a cabin master switch for this purpose). The odor did not get any stronger and we did not see any smoke or fire and couldn't find any heat or abnormal indications from any system. However, nothing we did seemed to eliminate or remove the smell. We elected to divert to bwi due to its proximity to our current location. Initially, we only requested a destination change with ZDC. The first officer handled communications, but I know we did explain why we needed the change. After being handed off to approach, we began receiving vectors for spacing. The odor had not dissipated despite all non essential items remaining off, including the entire galley and cabin. Since we felt it best to land as soon as possible, we requested priority at that time. We were immediately given a vector to the airport and acquired the field visually. When we were turned over to the tower, we received landing clearance and they also inquired about the nature of the problem. (In a conversation with the local tower controller later, the information had not been passed on. The conclusion was made that because we had not requested priority handling until checking in with approach, the nature of the situation had not been discussed between center and approach.) we landed at bwi without any other problems and at no time did any smoke or fire occur. Both passenger were questioned and neither said they had noticed any odor until we initiated our descent into bwi. The small amount of confusion created by the tower not knowing why we needed priority could have been cleared up if when we requested priority handling, we had restated the problem. I believe everything else was handled in a professional and courteous manner. Incidentally, as of nov/tue/02, the only cause that has been deemed a 'possibility' is an overheated fluorescent light in the psu, located above the vip seat in the cabin. The galley has been removed and inspected and nothing has been found.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C750 CREW, CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT, DETECTED A BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR, SPAWNING A DIVERSION TO NEARBY BWI.

Narrative: DURING CLB THROUGH 10000 FT MSL, THE FO SAID HE NOTICED AN 'ELECTRICAL ODOR' OR SOMETHING BURNING. HE WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT. AT THAT TIME, I DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING ABNORMAL, BUT HAD THE FO PERFORM THE CLB CHKS AND THEN ASKED HIM TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHERE THE ODOR MIGHT BE COMING FROM. HE TRAVELED THROUGH THE ACFT CABIN AND LAVATORY AND RPTED THAT THE SMELL SEEMED TO BE CONCENTRATED NEAR THE FORWARD GALLEY AND COCKPIT AREA. WHEN PASSING THROUGH APPROX FL250, I BEGAN TO SMELL WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRE OR BURNING PLASTIC. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB, BEGINNING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SYS (ENG BLEED AIR/ACM, ETC). WITH NO DEFINITIVE RESULT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL SYS, WE CONTINUED BY SHUTTING DOWN GALLEY ITEMS. FINALLY, WE SHUT OFF THE ENTIRE CABIN (CE-750 PROVIDES A CABIN MASTER SWITCH FOR THIS PURPOSE). THE ODOR DID NOT GET ANY STRONGER AND WE DID NOT SEE ANY SMOKE OR FIRE AND COULDN'T FIND ANY HEAT OR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS FROM ANY SYS. HOWEVER, NOTHING WE DID SEEMED TO ELIMINATE OR REMOVE THE SMELL. WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO BWI DUE TO ITS PROX TO OUR CURRENT LOCATION. INITIALLY, WE ONLY REQUESTED A DEST CHANGE WITH ZDC. THE FO HANDLED COMS, BUT I KNOW WE DID EXPLAIN WHY WE NEEDED THE CHANGE. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO APCH, WE BEGAN RECEIVING VECTORS FOR SPACING. THE ODOR HAD NOT DISSIPATED DESPITE ALL NON ESSENTIAL ITEMS REMAINING OFF, INCLUDING THE ENTIRE GALLEY AND CABIN. SINCE WE FELT IT BEST TO LAND ASAP, WE REQUESTED PRIORITY AT THAT TIME. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY GIVEN A VECTOR TO THE ARPT AND ACQUIRED THE FIELD VISUALLY. WHEN WE WERE TURNED OVER TO THE TWR, WE RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC AND THEY ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE PROB. (IN A CONVERSATION WITH THE LCL TWR CTLR LATER, THE INFO HAD NOT BEEN PASSED ON. THE CONCLUSION WAS MADE THAT BECAUSE WE HAD NOT REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING UNTIL CHKING IN WITH APCH, THE NATURE OF THE SIT HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED BTWN CTR AND APCH.) WE LANDED AT BWI WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBS AND AT NO TIME DID ANY SMOKE OR FIRE OCCUR. BOTH PAX WERE QUESTIONED AND NEITHER SAID THEY HAD NOTICED ANY ODOR UNTIL WE INITIATED OUR DSCNT INTO BWI. THE SMALL AMOUNT OF CONFUSION CREATED BY THE TWR NOT KNOWING WHY WE NEEDED PRIORITY COULD HAVE BEEN CLRED UP IF WHEN WE REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING, WE HAD RESTATED THE PROB. I BELIEVE EVERYTHING ELSE WAS HANDLED IN A PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS MANNER. INCIDENTALLY, AS OF NOV/TUE/02, THE ONLY CAUSE THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED A 'POSSIBILITY' IS AN OVERHEATED FLUORESCENT LIGHT IN THE PSU, LOCATED ABOVE THE VIP SEAT IN THE CABIN. THE GALLEY HAS BEEN REMOVED AND INSPECTED AND NOTHING HAS BEEN FOUND.

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.