A B737-300 holding at 12000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to cabin attendant report of e...

Attributes
ACN	640031
Time
Date	200402
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
ASRS Report	640031
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	640032
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

In holding at ZZZ, captain and first officer both smelled faint but obvious odor of smoke. Shortly thereafter, we heard flight attendant call buttons going off in cabin and shortly after that the 'a' flight attendant reported via interphone that passenger smelled smoke and so did she. There was no visible smoke. Flight attendants inspected cabin including lavatories thoroughly finding no evidence of fire or visible smoke. The captain informed center that we smelled smoke in the cabin and queried if we would be able to get into ZZZ since the reason for the hold was not known by crew. Center immediately cleared us direct to ZZZ and we set up for ILS to runway 26R, declaring an emergency. In the process of setting up, the flight attendant reported that the smell had subsided. Approach switched runway to runway 26L. Although busy, it was an expeditious approach with ATC priority and an uneventful landing. We exited runway, stopped, and had a visual inspection from airport fire equipment -- no problems seen. We taxied to gate and deplaned. Fire and maintenance inspected the aircraft and found nothing in the cabin. First officer heard loud noise from forward cargo bay on outside inspection, subsequently found by maintenance to be a faulty equipment cooling fan. It was inoperative'ed, and deferred. We flew the aircraft next leg to ord without incident. Flight attendants did excellent job of controling a somewhat panicky passenger during the event, as well as communicating with the cockpit and preparing for the quick landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain stated there really was no smoke visible but mainly a burning electrical odor. The east&east compartment cooling fan had failed and no circuit breakers were found tripped. Fan was found at the diversion station by the first officer on the walkaround check and inspected by maintenance and then deferred per the MEL.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 HOLDING AT 12000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO CABIN ATTENDANT RPT OF ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR. CAUSED BY FAILED COOLING FAN.

Narrative: IN HOLDING AT ZZZ, CAPT AND FO BOTH SMELLED FAINT BUT OBVIOUS ODOR OF SMOKE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE HEARD FLT ATTENDANT CALL BUTTONS GOING OFF IN CABIN AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT RPTED VIA INTERPHONE THAT PAX SMELLED SMOKE AND SO DID SHE. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SMOKE. FLT ATTENDANTS INSPECTED CABIN INCLUDING LAVATORIES THOROUGHLY FINDING NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE OR VISIBLE SMOKE. THE CAPT INFORMED CTR THAT WE SMELLED SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND QUERIED IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET INTO ZZZ SINCE THE REASON FOR THE HOLD WAS NOT KNOWN BY CREW. CTR IMMEDIATELY CLRED US DIRECT TO ZZZ AND WE SET UP FOR ILS TO RWY 26R, DECLARING AN EMER. IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING UP, THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THE SMELL HAD SUBSIDED. APCH SWITCHED RWY TO RWY 26L. ALTHOUGH BUSY, IT WAS AN EXPEDITIOUS APCH WITH ATC PRIORITY AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE EXITED RWY, STOPPED, AND HAD A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM ARPT FIRE EQUIP -- NO PROBS SEEN. WE TAXIED TO GATE AND DEPLANED. FIRE AND MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND NOTHING IN THE CABIN. FO HEARD LOUD NOISE FROM FORWARD CARGO BAY ON OUTSIDE INSPECTION, SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND BY MAINT TO BE A FAULTY EQUIP COOLING FAN. IT WAS INOP'ED, AND DEFERRED. WE FLEW THE ACFT NEXT LEG TO ORD WITHOUT INCIDENT. FLT ATTENDANTS DID EXCELLENT JOB OF CTLING A SOMEWHAT PANICKY PAX DURING THE EVENT, AS WELL AS COMMUNICATING WITH THE COCKPIT AND PREPARING FOR THE QUICK LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT STATED THERE REALLY WAS NO SMOKE VISIBLE BUT MAINLY A BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR. THE E&E COMPARTMENT COOLING FAN HAD FAILED AND NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FOUND TRIPPED. FAN WAS FOUND AT THE DIVERSION STATION BY THE FO ON THE WALKAROUND CHK AND INSPECTED BY MAINT AND THEN DEFERRED PER THE MEL.

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 B737-300 holding at 12000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to cabin attendant report of electrical burning odor. Caused by failed cooling fan.