Narrative:

On departure from ZZZ runway 9L, 4-5 mins after takeoff, at 8000 MSL, detected fumes which smelled like plastic. Confirmed fume smell with first officer, donned oxygen masks, goggles and established communication with first officer. Declared emergency with ZZZ departure and requested return to ZZZ. Checked with flight attendant in charge to determine if fumes in cabin, told her we were returning to ZZZ. The strength of fumes in cabin was faint compared to cockpit. First officer flew aircraft. I notified passenger of our need to return to ZZZ. First officer initiated expedited return while I spoke with first officer and passenger. Accomplished descent/approach/landing checklists. During approach noticed status message, hit status button message of 'fwd equipment fan fail.' normal landing, stopped on high speed to determine if fumes still existed, slight smell, but not as strong as fan must have ceased operation. Taxied to gate. Maintenance determined it was a fan failure. No other damage, maintenance carryover of fan, and flew to original destination. Total flight time was 13 mins. I was unable to complete smoke/fumes checklist beyond 2 memory items due to our expedited return. The next item on the checklist is to turn off both recirculation fans. Postflt flight attendant said that fume strength at her seat was slight and that she didn't think any first class passenger smelled the fumes, however, if recirculation fans off was a memory item it may have helped. My airline removed the 'hard card' checklist with some 'non normal' procedures within easy reach in favor of a QRH that is difficult to use in an emergency situation such as ours (masks/goggles). 'QRH' works fine at a desk but not as practical in the middle of the real thing. I found that it is a totally different experience handling a fumes in the cockpit 'non-normal' while in the air with 192 passenger than in a simulator. This is the second recent incident of fan failure of this particular fan. Another crew was being debriefed on the failure of the same fan while ours was occurring. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the fumes and smell was the forward equipment fan failure. The reporter said cooling fan failure is an ongoing problem, and mainly because these equipment fans run continuously on the ground and in the air. The reporter stated the company has removed the hard card checklists for whatever reason and replaced the cards with a QRH that is difficult to use wearing masks and goggles.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 ON CLB OUT AT 8000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO HEAVY PLASTIC FUME SMELL IN COCKPIT AND FAINT SMELL IN CABIN.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM ZZZ RWY 9L, 4-5 MINS AFTER TKOF, AT 8000 MSL, DETECTED FUMES WHICH SMELLED LIKE PLASTIC. CONFIRMED FUME SMELL WITH FO, DONNED OXYGEN MASKS, GOGGLES AND ESTABLISHED COM WITH FO. DECLARED EMER WITH ZZZ DEP AND REQUESTED RETURN TO ZZZ. CHECKED WITH FA IN CHARGE TO DETERMINE IF FUMES IN CABIN, TOLD HER WE WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ. THE STRENGTH OF FUMES IN CABIN WAS FAINT COMPARED TO COCKPIT. FO FLEW ACFT. I NOTIFIED PAX OF OUR NEED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. FO INITIATED EXPEDITED RETURN WHILE I SPOKE WITH FO AND PAX. ACCOMPLISHED DSCNT/APCH/LNDG CHKLISTS. DURING APCH NOTICED STATUS MSG, HIT STATUS BUTTON MSG OF 'FWD EQUIP FAN FAIL.' NORMAL LNDG, STOPPED ON HIGH SPEED TO DETERMINE IF FUMES STILL EXISTED, SLIGHT SMELL, BUT NOT AS STRONG AS FAN MUST HAVE CEASED OP. TAXIED TO GATE. MAINT DETERMINED IT WAS A FAN FAILURE. NO OTHER DAMAGE, MAINT CARRYOVER OF FAN, AND FLEW TO ORIGINAL DESTINATION. TOTAL FLT TIME WAS 13 MINS. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE SMOKE/FUMES CHKLIST BEYOND 2 MEMORY ITEMS DUE TO OUR EXPEDITED RETURN. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE CHKLIST IS TO TURN OFF BOTH RECIRCULATION FANS. POSTFLT FA SAID THAT FUME STRENGTH AT HER SEAT WAS SLIGHT AND THAT SHE DIDN'T THINK ANY FIRST CLASS PAX SMELLED THE FUMES, HOWEVER, IF RECIRCULATION FANS OFF WAS A MEMORY ITEM IT MAY HAVE HELPED. MY AIRLINE REMOVED THE 'HARD CARD' CHKLIST WITH SOME 'NON NORMAL' PROCS WITHIN EASY REACH IN FAVOR OF A QRH THAT IS DIFFICULT TO USE IN AN EMER SIT SUCH AS OURS (MASKS/GOGGLES). 'QRH' WORKS FINE AT A DESK BUT NOT AS PRACTICAL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE REAL THING. I FOUND THAT IT IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE HANDLING A FUMES IN THE COCKPIT 'NON-NORMAL' WHILE IN THE AIR WITH 192 PAX THAN IN A SIMULATOR. THIS IS THE SECOND RECENT INCIDENT OF FAN FAILURE OF THIS PARTICULAR FAN. ANOTHER CREW WAS BEING DEBRIEFED ON THE FAILURE OF THE SAME FAN WHILE OURS WAS OCCURRING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE FUMES AND SMELL WAS THE FORWARD EQUIP FAN FAILURE. THE RPTR SAID COOLING FAN FAILURE IS AN ONGOING PROB, AND MAINLY BECAUSE THESE EQUIP FANS RUN CONTINUOUSLY ON THE GND AND IN THE AIR. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY HAS REMOVED THE HARD CARD CHKLISTS FOR WHATEVER REASON AND REPLACED THE CARDS WITH A QRH THAT IS DIFFICULT TO USE WEARING MASKS AND GOGGLES.

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.