 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Flight crew of MD80 observed short puffs of smoke emanating from an annunciator panel. Reacted with emergency procedure checklist but discovered it was overheated food from forward galley. Confusion with ATC communication resulted in declaration of emergency by ZOB. Later canceled by flight crew.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 581437 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : azo.airport |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl single value : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 581437 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10400 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 581436 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
En route dca to mke captain and first officer saw smoke coming out of right side of annunciator panel. We put on our oxygen masks and first officer asked for a lower altitude because of smoke in the cockpit. As we descended to FL240 I noticed smoke coming out of the left side of the annunciator panel and then it stopped. As we prepared to use the QRH the smoke went away. It seemed strange that we did not smell any smoke, so I called the flight attendants and flight attendant #1 said he had food cooking in the oven. I went back to the galley and found really hot food in the forward galley oven. The flight attendants were all in the back of the cabin. I suspected the food in the galley gave off smoke and the flight attendants weren't there to tell me about it. So we decided to continue on to destination. On our descent we called back to ZOB to ask about our status with them, since our company SELCAL'd us. Cleveland said their supervisor declared an emergency for us because they kept calling us and since we were busy we kept telling them to standby. We, however, did not declare an emergency. In conclusion, I want to say that this was not a cockpit filled with smoke. It was a few puffs of smoke coming off the annunciator panel for a few seconds.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF MD80 OBSERVED SHORT PUFFS OF SMOKE EMANATING FROM AN ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. REACTED WITH EMER PROC CHKLIST BUT DISCOVERED IT WAS OVERHEATED FOOD FROM FORWARD GALLEY. CONFUSION WITH ATC COM RESULTED IN DECLARATION OF EMER BY ZOB. LATER CANCELED BY FLT CREW.
Narrative: ENRTE DCA TO MKE CAPT AND FO SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF R SIDE OF ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. WE PUT ON OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND FO ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT BECAUSE OF SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. AS WE DSNDED TO FL240 I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE L SIDE OF THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL AND THEN IT STOPPED. AS WE PREPARED TO USE THE QRH THE SMOKE WENT AWAY. IT SEEMED STRANGE THAT WE DID NOT SMELL ANY SMOKE, SO I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND FLT ATTENDANT #1 SAID HE HAD FOOD COOKING IN THE OVEN. I WENT BACK TO THE GALLEY AND FOUND REALLY HOT FOOD IN THE FORWARD GALLEY OVEN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ALL IN THE BACK OF THE CABIN. I SUSPECTED THE FOOD IN THE GALLEY GAVE OFF SMOKE AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WEREN'T THERE TO TELL ME ABOUT IT. SO WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO DEST. ON OUR DSCNT WE CALLED BACK TO ZOB TO ASK ABOUT OUR STATUS WITH THEM, SINCE OUR COMPANY SELCAL'D US. CLEVELAND SAID THEIR SUPVR DECLARED AN EMER FOR US BECAUSE THEY KEPT CALLING US AND SINCE WE WERE BUSY WE KEPT TELLING THEM TO STANDBY. WE, HOWEVER, DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. IN CONCLUSION, I WANT TO SAY THAT THIS WAS NOT A COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE. IT WAS A FEW PUFFS OF SMOKE COMING OFF THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL FOR A FEW SECONDS.
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.