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An MD80 at 17000 ft diverted due to slight haze in cockpit and cabin. At reduced power the haze dissipated. Caused by deicing fluid in the water separator coalescer bags.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 678194 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200511 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.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 | 678194 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 678195 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Environmental Factor Chart Or Publication Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During climb out of ord eastbound; we noticed a slight haze/smoke in the cockpit. About the same time the flight attendants called and said they also noticed a haze in the cabin. We called ATC to request a leveloff to run the checklist. While running the checklist; ATC gave us various vectors and small altitude changes. We determined from running the checklist that the haze/smoke source was coming from the air conditioning system during high power settings. The haze/smoke would only dissipate at lower power settings. So we requested to return to ord. While running the checklist and at 17000 ft; we may have missed an altitude clearance to climb to FL180. This happened about the same time we requested to return to ord. As soon as we reduced the power to descend back to ord; the haze would dissipate rapidly. We did not declare an emergency as haze/smoke was not too bad at any time but felt it was not safe to proceed to destination. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the problem was the socks in the water separator units were soaked with the deicing fluid and mingled with the conditioned air entering the cockpit and cabin. Callback conversation with reporter acn 678195 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the haze/smoke was never thick enough to declare an emergency but the decision was made to return to the departure airport. The haze was caused by water bags being soaked in deicing fluid.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 AT 17000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO SLIGHT HAZE IN COCKPIT AND CABIN. AT REDUCED PWR THE HAZE DISSIPATED. CAUSED BY DEICING FLUID IN THE WATER SEPARATOR COALESCER BAGS.
Narrative: DURING CLB OUT OF ORD EBOUND; WE NOTICED A SLIGHT HAZE/SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED AND SAID THEY ALSO NOTICED A HAZE IN THE CABIN. WE CALLED ATC TO REQUEST A LEVELOFF TO RUN THE CHKLIST. WHILE RUNNING THE CHKLIST; ATC GAVE US VARIOUS VECTORS AND SMALL ALT CHANGES. WE DETERMINED FROM RUNNING THE CHKLIST THAT THE HAZE/SMOKE SOURCE WAS COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS DURING HIGH PWR SETTINGS. THE HAZE/SMOKE WOULD ONLY DISSIPATE AT LOWER PWR SETTINGS. SO WE REQUESTED TO RETURN TO ORD. WHILE RUNNING THE CHKLIST AND AT 17000 FT; WE MAY HAVE MISSED AN ALT CLRNC TO CLB TO FL180. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE REQUESTED TO RETURN TO ORD. AS SOON AS WE REDUCED THE PWR TO DSND BACK TO ORD; THE HAZE WOULD DISSIPATE RAPIDLY. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS HAZE/SMOKE WAS NOT TOO BAD AT ANY TIME BUT FELT IT WAS NOT SAFE TO PROCEED TO DEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROB WAS THE SOCKS IN THE WATER SEPARATOR UNITS WERE SOAKED WITH THE DEICING FLUID AND MINGLED WITH THE CONDITIONED AIR ENTERING THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 678195 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE HAZE/SMOKE WAS NEVER THICK ENOUGH TO DECLARE AN EMER BUT THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT. THE HAZE WAS CAUSED BY WATER BAGS BEING SOAKED IN DEICING FLUID.
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.