A B757-200 in climb passing FL320 declared an emergency and diverted due to smell of burning wire an...

Attributes
ACN	606112
Time
Date	200401
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	606112
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We departed on flight ZZZ-ZZZ1. Slightly west of ZZZ2. Passing FL320 for 350 the captain noticed a hot electrical smell. Within a few seconds, the smell became much stronger and a great deal of smoke began coming from the base of the captain's windshield. Several of the flight attendant call buttons started to chime also. The captain gave me the aircraft and I stopped the climb and declared an emergency with ATC and got a clearance for a descent and return to ZZZ. The captain noticed the wiring leading to his forward windshield burning and turned off the window heat. As we were turning back to ZZZ, the captain's windshield shattered. The smell in the cockpit was very strong, but the smoke was beginning to dissipate. An S-80 check airman had joined us in the cockpit by this time. We referred to the QRH for a shattered window and the smoke/fumes removal checklist. The flight attendant's had reported a strong electrical smell, but no smoke. ATC, gave us a direct clearance back to ZZZ and then vectors to the ILS final and uneventful landing on 13R by the captain. The crash crew inspected the aircraft and noted no damage other than the shattered windshield. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the captain first noted the burning smell and then noted a large amount of smoke from the lower edge of the windshield. The reporter said the cabin attendants also detected the smell and started calling the cockpit to report the smell. The reporter stated then the wiring to the windshield started burning and windshield heat was turned off. The reporter said on turning to the diversion station the most inner pane of the window shattered, spreading small chips of glass on the glare shield. The reporter stated during the quick reference check it was noted. No circuit breakers were found tripped. This fact was verified by maintenance on ground inspection. The reporter said the cabin attendants did not see smoke, but did smell the electrical odor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 IN CLIMB PASSING FL320 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SMELL OF BURNING WIRE AND SMOKE FROM CAPT'S WINDSHIELD WHICH SHATTERED.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ON FLT ZZZ-ZZZ1. SLIGHTLY WEST OF ZZZ2. PASSING FL320 FOR 350 THE CAPT NOTICED A HOT ELECTRICAL SMELL. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE SMELL BECAME MUCH STRONGER AND A GREAT DEAL OF SMOKE BEGAN COMING FROM THE BASE OF THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD. SEVERAL OF THE FA CALL BUTTONS STARTED TO CHIME ALSO. THE CAPT GAVE ME THE ACFT AND I STOPPED THE CLIMB AND DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND GOT A CLRNC FOR A DESCENT AND RETURN TO ZZZ. THE CAPT NOTICED THE WIRING LEADING TO HIS FORWARD WINDSHIELD BURNING AND TURNED OFF THE WINDOW HEAT. AS WE WERE TURNING BACK TO ZZZ, THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. THE SMELL IN THE COCKPIT WAS VERY STRONG, BUT THE SMOKE WAS BEGINNING TO DISSIPATE. AN S-80 CHECK AIRMAN HAD JOINED US IN THE COCKPIT BY THIS TIME. WE REFERRED TO THE QRH FOR A SHATTERED WINDOW AND THE SMOKE/FUMES REMOVAL CHECKLIST. THE FA'S HAD RPTED A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL, BUT NO SMOKE. ATC, GAVE US A DIRECT CLRNC BACK TO ZZZ AND THEN VECTORS TO THE ILS FINAL AND UNEVENTFUL LANDING ON 13R BY THE CAPT. THE CRASH CREW INSPECTED THE ACFT AND NOTED NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE SHATTERED WINDSHIELD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAPT FIRST NOTED THE BURNING SMELL AND THEN NOTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE RPTR SAID THE CABIN ATTENDANTS ALSO DETECTED THE SMELL AND STARTED CALLING THE COCKPIT TO RPT THE SMELL. THE RPTR STATED THEN THE WIRING TO THE WINDSHIELD STARTED BURNING AND WINDSHIELD HEAT WAS TURNED OFF. THE RPTR SAID ON TURNING TO THE DIVERSION STATION THE MOST INNER PANE OF THE WINDOW SHATTERED, SPREADING SMALL CHIPS OF GLASS ON THE GLARE SHIELD. THE RPTR STATED DURING THE QUICK REFERENCE CHECK IT WAS NOTED. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FOUND TRIPPED. THIS FACT WAS VERIFIED BY MAINT ON GROUND INSPECTION. THE RPTR SAID THE CABIN ATTENDANTS DID NOT SEE SMOKE, BUT DID SMELL THE ELECTRICAL ODOR.

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.

A B757-200 in climb passing FL320 declared an emergency and diverted due to smell of burning wire and smoke from captain's windshield which shattered.