Cabin smoke and fumes results in an emergency diversion for an MD11 crew.

Attributes
ACN	567285
Time
Date	200212
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : anc.airport
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl single value : 32000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan.artcc tower : geg.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	567285
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	faa : investigated other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During cruise, a slight haze/smoke was noticed in the cockpit. A visual inspection of main cabin revealed moderate smoke. An immediate diversion to ZZZ was initiated. Smoke/fumes checklist accomplished. Emergency declared approaching ZZZ. 350 KIAS maintained until 15 NM final. Landing was uneventful. Note: smoke detectors did not alert crew to smoke. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that once the decision was made to divert, it was approximately 30 mins to landing. The cabin was depressurized at FL250. Speed was maintained above 250 KTS below 10000 ft, because of the unknown source of the smoke and fumes. There was no documented hazmat on board, but there was a concern that there could be some anyway. High speed approachs had been previously trained for in simulator sessions. Airport fire crews met the aircraft and determined there was no fire. The source of the smoke was found to be oil in the pneumatic bleed system. With bleed valves deactivated closed, the aircraft was dispatched to a maintenance station. There it was borescoped and found that an oil seal had failed. The seal was removed, oil filter screens cleaned, and after coordination with the engine manufacturer, it was dispatched to the air carrier maintenance base with oil consumption monitoring as part of the MEL deferral requirement. After approximately 2 hours of flight, all oil was lost and engine bearing failure occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN SMOKE AND FUMES RESULTS IN AN EMER DIVERSION FOR AN MD11 CREW.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE, A SLIGHT HAZE/SMOKE WAS NOTICED IN THE COCKPIT. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF MAIN CABIN REVEALED MODERATE SMOKE. AN IMMEDIATE DIVERSION TO ZZZ WAS INITIATED. SMOKE/FUMES CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED. EMER DECLARED APCHING ZZZ. 350 KIAS MAINTAINED UNTIL 15 NM FINAL. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. NOTE: SMOKE DETECTORS DID NOT ALERT CREW TO SMOKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT ONCE THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT, IT WAS APPROX 30 MINS TO LNDG. THE CABIN WAS DEPRESSURIZED AT FL250. SPD WAS MAINTAINED ABOVE 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT, BECAUSE OF THE UNKNOWN SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AND FUMES. THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTED HAZMAT ON BOARD, BUT THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT THERE COULD BE SOME ANYWAY. HIGH SPD APCHS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY TRAINED FOR IN SIMULATOR SESSIONS. ARPT FIRE CREWS MET THE ACFT AND DETERMINED THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE WAS FOUND TO BE OIL IN THE PNEUMATIC BLEED SYS. WITH BLEED VALVES DEACTIVATED CLOSED, THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED TO A MAINT STATION. THERE IT WAS BORESCOPED AND FOUND THAT AN OIL SEAL HAD FAILED. THE SEAL WAS REMOVED, OIL FILTER SCREENS CLEANED, AND AFTER COORD WITH THE ENG MANUFACTURER, IT WAS DISPATCHED TO THE ACR MAINT BASE WITH OIL CONSUMPTION MONITORING AS PART OF THE MEL DEFERRAL REQUIREMENT. AFTER APPROX 2 HRS OF FLT, ALL OIL WAS LOST AND ENG BEARING FAILURE OCCURRED.

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.