Narrative:

During cruise flight we experienced a hot or burning electrical odor in the cockpit. I called the purser and asked if she had the electrical odor, if anyone was in the lavatory, ovens on, coffeemaker problems, etc. She had the odor throughout the cabin as it traveled towards the outflow valves, but there was no apparent reason in the cabin for the source of the odor, the odor increased from light to strong and I turned off the utility buses and the right recirculation fan was shed. The odor dissipated in the cockpit and throughout the cabin. We looked through the checklists and only the smoke/fume removal applied, so we turned off both recirculation fans. After we discussed options and informed ATC and dispatch of a possible divert, the odor was gone and I decided to press on to jfk. Within a few mins the electrical odor returned, although not very strong. So mcj was closest, I decided to make a precautionary landing without attempting to troubleshoot the problem further. On taxi in, we had 2 EICAS messages, equipment cooing fan, and equipment overheat. I turned the left recirculation back on and the equipment overheat extinguished. Maintenance confirmed the equipment cooling fan had failed, we had to wait for parts to be flown in. Maintenance said the fan blades would turn with one attempt and lockup with the next try, the bearings were shot. We ferried the repaired aircraft to jfk that afternoon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 IN CRUISE AT FL370 DIVERTED DUE TO HOT OR BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR. 2 EICAS WARNINGS 'EQUIP COOLING FAN' AND 'EQUIP OVERHEAT.' CAUSED BY THE EQUIP COOLING FAN BEARING FAILURE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT WE EXPERIENCED A HOT OR BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR IN THE COCKPIT. I CALLED THE PURSER AND ASKED IF SHE HAD THE ELECTRICAL ODOR, IF ANYONE WAS IN THE LAVATORY, OVENS ON, COFFEEMAKER PROBS, ETC. SHE HAD THE ODOR THROUGHOUT THE CABIN AS IT TRAVELED TOWARDS THE OUTFLOW VALVES, BUT THERE WAS NO APPARENT REASON IN THE CABIN FOR THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR, THE ODOR INCREASED FROM LIGHT TO STRONG AND I TURNED OFF THE UTILITY BUSES AND THE R RECIRCULATION FAN WAS SHED. THE ODOR DISSIPATED IN THE COCKPIT AND THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. WE LOOKED THROUGH THE CHKLISTS AND ONLY THE SMOKE/FUME REMOVAL APPLIED, SO WE TURNED OFF BOTH RECIRCULATION FANS. AFTER WE DISCUSSED OPTIONS AND INFORMED ATC AND DISPATCH OF A POSSIBLE DIVERT, THE ODOR WAS GONE AND I DECIDED TO PRESS ON TO JFK. WITHIN A FEW MINS THE ELECTRICAL ODOR RETURNED, ALTHOUGH NOT VERY STRONG. SO MCJ WAS CLOSEST, I DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB FURTHER. ON TAXI IN, WE HAD 2 EICAS MESSAGES, EQUIP COOING FAN, AND EQUIP OVERHEAT. I TURNED THE L RECIRCULATION BACK ON AND THE EQUIP OVERHEAT EXTINGUISHED. MAINT CONFIRMED THE EQUIP COOLING FAN HAD FAILED, WE HAD TO WAIT FOR PARTS TO BE FLOWN IN. MAINT SAID THE FAN BLADES WOULD TURN WITH ONE ATTEMPT AND LOCKUP WITH THE NEXT TRY, THE BEARINGS WERE SHOT. WE FERRIED THE REPAIRED ACFT TO JFK THAT AFTERNOON.

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.