Narrative:

Departed phx routinely on the maxxo 1 SID. Turned eastbound to radar vector heading 050 degrees and passing about 9500 ft, began smelling electrical burning, though smoke or fire was not visible. First officer and I concurred on our assessment. We leveled off at about 11000 ft, and made a decision to return to the airport. We basically were on a left downwind to the airport at the time. After telling ATC that we wanted to return to the airport they asked if we wanted to declare an emergency as well as have arff standing by. I replied yes to both. I contacted company and relayed that we declared an emergency and why. Then, I quickly briefed the first flight attendant that we were doing a precautionary landing, which was followed by a PA to the passenger. QRH procedure for electrical smoke or fire was initiated. Smell went away after turning off recirculation fans. Having landed uneventfully, arff met the aircraft when clearing the runway. Arff wanted to scan the aircraft with infra-red sensors prior to proceeding to the gate. They asked us to shut down both engines, however due to a no MEL for APU inoperative, we had to shut down 1 engine at a time, then xbleed start each engine once each individual side of the aircraft was scanned. After the sensor check, we proceeded to the gate. Arff chief and his captain, as well as our maintenance personnel came to the flight deck upon arrival. Briefed maintenance and wrote up discrepancy in the logbook. Also pulled circuit breaker per our fom with another entry in the logbook as prescribed (cvr). Afterward, debriefed crew. Contacted duty officer of the chief pilot's office.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WHICH RESULTS IN THE FLT CREW DECLARING AN EMER AND LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED PHX ROUTINELY ON THE MAXXO 1 SID. TURNED EBOUND TO RADAR VECTOR HEADING 050 DEGS AND PASSING ABOUT 9500 FT, BEGAN SMELLING ELECTRICAL BURNING, THOUGH SMOKE OR FIRE WAS NOT VISIBLE. FO AND I CONCURRED ON OUR ASSESSMENT. WE LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 11000 FT, AND MADE A DECISION TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. WE BASICALLY WERE ON A L DOWNWIND TO THE ARPT AT THE TIME. AFTER TELLING ATC THAT WE WANTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT THEY ASKED IF WE WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER AS WELL AS HAVE ARFF STANDING BY. I REPLIED YES TO BOTH. I CONTACTED COMPANY AND RELAYED THAT WE DECLARED AN EMER AND WHY. THEN, I QUICKLY BRIEFED THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT THAT WE WERE DOING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A PA TO THE PAX. QRH PROC FOR ELECTRICAL SMOKE OR FIRE WAS INITIATED. SMELL WENT AWAY AFTER TURNING OFF RECIRCULATION FANS. HAVING LANDED UNEVENTFULLY, ARFF MET THE ACFT WHEN CLRING THE RWY. ARFF WANTED TO SCAN THE ACFT WITH INFRA-RED SENSORS PRIOR TO PROCEEDING TO THE GATE. THEY ASKED US TO SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS, HOWEVER DUE TO A NO MEL FOR APU INOP, WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN 1 ENG AT A TIME, THEN XBLEED START EACH ENG ONCE EACH INDIVIDUAL SIDE OF THE ACFT WAS SCANNED. AFTER THE SENSOR CHK, WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE. ARFF CHIEF AND HIS CAPT, AS WELL AS OUR MAINT PERSONNEL CAME TO THE FLT DECK UPON ARR. BRIEFED MAINT AND WROTE UP DISCREPANCY IN THE LOGBOOK. ALSO PULLED CIRCUIT BREAKER PER OUR FOM WITH ANOTHER ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK AS PRESCRIBED (CVR). AFTERWARD, DEBRIEFED CREW. CONTACTED DUTY OFFICER OF THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE.

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.