A B767-300 er on climb at FL300 diverted due to cabin attendants reporting red flashing light and sw...

Attributes
ACN	693695
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 30000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	693695
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At FL300 flight attendants reported seeing red flashing light coming from overhead storage bin adjacent to seat xx. They also reported a loud swishing sound followed by what sounded like plugging a hole. There was some air noise remaining but somewhat subdued. After communication with maintenance control; I elected to divert to ZZZZ for repairs. Maintenance found the top rotating beacon shattered. Upon further investigation; they found the interior portion of the light loose above the overhead compartment and insulation up around the attachment hole where the light is normally mounted. We made an uneventful overweight landing at 278000 pounds and released the emergency equipment after we cleared the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the glass was shattered and this lens glass is greater than .250 inch with no evidence of a bird strike. The reporter believed the diversion was warranted due to the unknown damage. Inspection by maintenance found the light lens shattered and the light assembly laying on the top surface of the overhead storage bin. The hole left by the light assembly had been filled with fuselage insulation. May have been previous damage or crack in the lens but not bird strike.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 ER ON CLB AT FL300 DIVERTED DUE TO CABIN ATTENDANTS RPTING RED FLASHING LIGHT AND SWISHING SOUND FROM CTR OVERHEAD STORAGE BIN.

Narrative: AT FL300 FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED SEEING RED FLASHING LIGHT COMING FROM OVERHEAD STORAGE BIN ADJACENT TO SEAT XX. THEY ALSO RPTED A LOUD SWISHING SOUND FOLLOWED BY WHAT SOUNDED LIKE PLUGGING A HOLE. THERE WAS SOME AIR NOISE REMAINING BUT SOMEWHAT SUBDUED. AFTER COM WITH MAINT CTL; I ELECTED TO DIVERT TO ZZZZ FOR REPAIRS. MAINT FOUND THE TOP ROTATING BEACON SHATTERED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION; THEY FOUND THE INTERIOR PORTION OF THE LIGHT LOOSE ABOVE THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT AND INSULATION UP AROUND THE ATTACHMENT HOLE WHERE THE LIGHT IS NORMALLY MOUNTED. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL OVERWT LNDG AT 278000 LBS AND RELEASED THE EMER EQUIP AFTER WE CLRED THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE GLASS WAS SHATTERED AND THIS LENS GLASS IS GREATER THAN .250 INCH WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A BIRD STRIKE. THE RPTR BELIEVED THE DIVERSION WAS WARRANTED DUE TO THE UNKNOWN DAMAGE. INSPECTION BY MAINT FOUND THE LIGHT LENS SHATTERED AND THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY LAYING ON THE TOP SURFACE OF THE OVERHEAD STORAGE BIN. THE HOLE LEFT BY THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN FILLED WITH FUSELAGE INSULATION. MAY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUS DAMAGE OR CRACK IN THE LENS BUT NOT BIRD STRIKE.

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.

A B767-300 er on climb at FL300 diverted due to cabin attendants reporting red flashing light and swishing sound from center overhead storage bin.