<< >> NASA ASRS Report 676371, October 2005

MD80 written up and signed off twice previously declares emergency and returns to departure airport due to severe vibration and electrical smoke odors.

Attributes
ACN	676371
Time
Date	200510
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	676371
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	aircraft : evacuated flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Repeat write-up of the same problem twice before. Aircraft should never have been released for flight with passenger. Right after takeoff; we noticed a little vibration somewhere on the aircraft. Climbing through 12000 ft; the aft flight attendant called and said the vibration in the back was very strong. She could not hear me on the interphone because it was so loud. Then the forward flight attendant called and reported the same thing. It was then the first officer and I noticed a faint electrical burning smell. We leveled off at FL230 and asked ATC for returning vectors back to ZZZ. We declared an emergency and landed at ZZZ. After parking at the gate; the aft flight attendant reported a strong electrical smell. I called for an evacuate/evacuation out the forward entry door only. We called for the fire department to respond; but by the time they climbed up the aft stairs the smell was very faint. No fire reported.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 WRITTEN UP AND SIGNED OFF TWICE PREVIOUSLY DECLARES EMER AND RETURNS TO DEP ARPT DUE TO SEVERE VIBRATION AND ELECTRICAL SMOKE ODORS.

Narrative: REPEAT WRITE-UP OF THE SAME PROB TWICE BEFORE. ACFT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN RELEASED FOR FLT WITH PAX. RIGHT AFTER TKOF; WE NOTICED A LITTLE VIBRATION SOMEWHERE ON THE ACFT. CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT; THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND SAID THE VIBRATION IN THE BACK WAS VERY STRONG. SHE COULD NOT HEAR ME ON THE INTERPHONE BECAUSE IT WAS SO LOUD. THEN THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND RPTED THE SAME THING. IT WAS THEN THE FO AND I NOTICED A FAINT ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL230 AND ASKED ATC FOR RETURNING VECTORS BACK TO ZZZ. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT ZZZ. AFTER PARKING AT THE GATE; THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT RPTED A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL. I CALLED FOR AN EVAC OUT THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR ONLY. WE CALLED FOR THE FIRE DEPT TO RESPOND; BUT BY THE TIME THEY CLBED UP THE AFT STAIRS THE SMELL WAS VERY FAINT. NO FIRE RPTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.