Narrative:

Smoke in the airplane. Crew was flying XXX identify XXXX ??? And was just completing the ZZZ sfo segment with the aircraft over the sfo airport at 11000 ft at 280 KTS. During descent, crew had heard a persistent whine, as in an air leak around a nose gear door, or radome. Cockpit lights had recently been dimmed for night operation. Lighting suddenly reverted to full bright, followed shortly by the 'inoperative' light in the left recirculation fan switch. I looked around the cockpit for additional indications, as I thought a major electrical failure was in progress. Nothing noted ATC gave us a descent to 8000 ft. As descent was initiated, simultaneously I smelled smoke, and a cabin flight attendant called to report presence of smoke in the cabin. First officer and I donned the oxygen masks, my glasses were knocked off and lost in the process. First officer initially forgot to select 'mask' position on interphone panel and could not transmit. At this point crew communications became very difficult because of the masks. We had to yell and use hand signs. First officer performed QRH for smoke, fumes, odors, but no items. We got clearance for immediate turn to land visually on runway 28R. Emergency was not declared but tower did roll the trucks anyway. 'Smoke' light did not illuminate at any time. Normal landing. Smoke gone. Masks were removed and decision was made to immediately proceed to gate for deplaning. Fire department crew came on board for debriefing, followed by maintenance. Flight time was 5-7 mins after onset of problem. Maintenance appraisal: forward equipment cooling fan failed-generated smoke, and aircraft responded automatically, as designed, overboard exhaust valve opened, left recirculation fan shut down, smoke light was inhibited for a while. Normal checklists and QRH were executed but no reference checklists due to short remaining flight time. Some observations: captain knocked off glasses while installing mask. Not recovered until later. First officer initially forgot to select 'mask' on transmit selector panel. Captain lost earpiece while removing mask. Masks really inhibited communications in the cockpit. We had to yell, and use hand signals. Crew had to act semi-independently in getting aircraft on the ground. Additional discussion was impossible. After landing, the situation discussed with the first flight attendant, dispatcher and duty flight manager were debriefed by phone, separately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW HAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND COCKPIT WHILE ON INITIAL DSCNT INTO SFO.

Narrative: SMOKE IN THE AIRPLANE. CREW WAS FLYING XXX IDENT XXXX ??? AND WAS JUST COMPLETING THE ZZZ SFO SEGMENT WITH THE ACFT OVER THE SFO ARPT AT 11000 FT AT 280 KTS. DURING DSCNT, CREW HAD HEARD A PERSISTENT WHINE, AS IN AN AIR LEAK AROUND A NOSE GEAR DOOR, OR RADOME. COCKPIT LIGHTS HAD RECENTLY BEEN DIMMED FOR NIGHT OP. LIGHTING SUDDENLY REVERTED TO FULL BRIGHT, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE 'INOP' LIGHT IN THE L RECIRCULATION FAN SWITCH. I LOOKED AROUND THE COCKPIT FOR ADDITIONAL INDICATIONS, AS I THOUGHT A MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS IN PROGRESS. NOTHING NOTED ATC GAVE US A DSCNT TO 8000 FT. AS DSCNT WAS INITIATED, SIMULTANEOUSLY I SMELLED SMOKE, AND A CABIN FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO RPT PRESENCE OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN. FO AND I DONNED THE OXYGEN MASKS, MY GLASSES WERE KNOCKED OFF AND LOST IN THE PROCESS. FO INITIALLY FORGOT TO SELECT 'MASK' POS ON INTERPHONE PANEL AND COULD NOT XMIT. AT THIS POINT CREW COMS BECAME VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE MASKS. WE HAD TO YELL AND USE HAND SIGNS. FO PERFORMED QRH FOR SMOKE, FUMES, ODORS, BUT NO ITEMS. WE GOT CLRNC FOR IMMEDIATE TURN TO LAND VISUALLY ON RWY 28R. EMER WAS NOT DECLARED BUT TWR DID ROLL THE TRUCKS ANYWAY. 'SMOKE' LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AT ANY TIME. NORMAL LNDG. SMOKE GONE. MASKS WERE REMOVED AND DECISION WAS MADE TO IMMEDIATELY PROCEED TO GATE FOR DEPLANING. FIRE DEPT CREW CAME ON BOARD FOR DEBRIEFING, FOLLOWED BY MAINT. FLT TIME WAS 5-7 MINS AFTER ONSET OF PROB. MAINT APPRAISAL: FORWARD EQUIP COOLING FAN FAILED-GENERATED SMOKE, AND ACFT RESPONDED AUTOMATICALLY, AS DESIGNED, OVERBOARD EXHAUST VALVE OPENED, L RECIRCULATION FAN SHUT DOWN, SMOKE LIGHT WAS INHIBITED FOR A WHILE. NORMAL CHKLISTS AND QRH WERE EXECUTED BUT NO REF CHKLISTS DUE TO SHORT REMAINING FLT TIME. SOME OBSERVATIONS: CAPT KNOCKED OFF GLASSES WHILE INSTALLING MASK. NOT RECOVERED UNTIL LATER. FO INITIALLY FORGOT TO SELECT 'MASK' ON XMIT SELECTOR PANEL. CAPT LOST EARPIECE WHILE REMOVING MASK. MASKS REALLY INHIBITED COMS IN THE COCKPIT. WE HAD TO YELL, AND USE HAND SIGNALS. CREW HAD TO ACT SEMI-INDEPENDENTLY IN GETTING ACFT ON THE GND. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WAS IMPOSSIBLE. AFTER LNDG, THE SIT DISCUSSED WITH THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT, DISPATCHER AND DUTY FLT MGR WERE DEBRIEFED BY PHONE, SEPARATELY.

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.