Narrative:

Upon climbing out of FL200; my flight attendant notified me of a smoke smell in the galley; which was later confirmed as my first officer investigated. The smell was of burned plastic. Suspecting the #2 pack or bleed was the cause; both were shut off per checklist. The situation seemed to improve temporarily; however approximately 10 minutes later; the smell became evident in the flight deck. This time the smell was now electrical. At that time; the flight attendant advised visible smoke in the cabin. I immediately declared an emergency and requested vectors to ZZZ. Sometime while this was happening; we received a pitot 3 inoperative message and I proceeded to accomplish our elec fire checklist in the QRH. After completing a few items on the checklist; the smoke seemed to decrease in intensity in our descent into ZZZ. Once the air was a little clearer; the first officer and myself were able to take off our oxygen masks and land uneventfully in ZZZ. We were met by emergency vehicles; who performed an exterior inspection indicating no smoke. We were then escorted to a gate to deplane. There were no injuries and nobody received medical attention on scene. Upon maintenance inspection; behind a panel on the first officer's side console; a fire was quite obviously the source as there were numerous burnt wire bundles; evidence of high heat and flames on some of the metal relay switches.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the smoke and fire was under the first officer's side console but the vent system was removing the smoke and smell from the cockpit and into the galley vent system. During the emergency procedures; the #2 pack was shut down and the smoke and smell was then noted in the cockpit as the vent system was operated from the #2 pack. On the ground; when maintenance removed the right console cover; damage was found to the wire bundle and relays. The reporter knows of one other reported fire in the first officer's console and this may have resulted in an airworthiness directive.callback conversation with reporter 698681 revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after the #2 pack was shut down; the smoke and haze was visible in the cockpit. An emergency was declared and a diversion was made to a suitable airport. When on the ground; the first officer's console panel was opened up and evidence of high heat damage was found on the wire bundles and two relays. The relays may have been associated with the right pitot heat circuit as a #3 pitot heat inoperative message was received.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 CLBING OUT OF FL200 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND SMELL IN COCKPIT AND CABIN.

Narrative: UPON CLBING OUT OF FL200; MY FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME OF A SMOKE SMELL IN THE GALLEY; WHICH WAS LATER CONFIRMED AS MY FO INVESTIGATED. THE SMELL WAS OF BURNED PLASTIC. SUSPECTING THE #2 PACK OR BLEED WAS THE CAUSE; BOTH WERE SHUT OFF PER CHKLIST. THE SITUATION SEEMED TO IMPROVE TEMPORARILY; HOWEVER APPROX 10 MINUTES LATER; THE SMELL BECAME EVIDENT IN THE FLT DECK. THIS TIME THE SMELL WAS NOW ELECTRICAL. AT THAT TIME; THE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED VISIBLE SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO ZZZ. SOMETIME WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING; WE RECEIVED A PITOT 3 INOP MESSAGE AND I PROCEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH OUR ELEC FIRE CHKLIST IN THE QRH. AFTER COMPLETING A FEW ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST; THE SMOKE SEEMED TO DECREASE IN INTENSITY IN OUR DSCNT INTO ZZZ. ONCE THE AIR WAS A LITTLE CLEARER; THE FO AND MYSELF WERE ABLE TO TAKE OFF OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND LAND UNEVENTFULLY IN ZZZ. WE WERE MET BY EMERGENCY VEHICLES; WHO PERFORMED AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION INDICATING NO SMOKE. WE WERE THEN ESCORTED TO A GATE TO DEPLANE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NOBODY RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION ON SCENE. UPON MAINT INSPECTION; BEHIND A PANEL ON THE FO'S SIDE CONSOLE; A FIRE WAS QUITE OBVIOUSLY THE SOURCE AS THERE WERE NUMEROUS BURNT WIRE BUNDLES; EVIDENCE OF HIGH HEAT AND FLAMES ON SOME OF THE METAL RELAY SWITCHES.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SMOKE AND FIRE WAS UNDER THE FO'S SIDE CONSOLE BUT THE VENT SYSTEM WAS REMOVING THE SMOKE AND SMELL FROM THE COCKPIT AND INTO THE GALLEY VENT SYSTEM. DURING THE EMER PROCS; THE #2 PACK WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE SMOKE AND SMELL WAS THEN NOTED IN THE COCKPIT AS THE VENT SYSTEM WAS OPERATED FROM THE #2 PACK. ON THE GND; WHEN MAINT REMOVED THE R CONSOLE COVER; DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO THE WIRE BUNDLE AND RELAYS. THE RPTR KNOWS OF ONE OTHER RPTED FIRE IN THE FO'S CONSOLE AND THIS MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 698681 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER THE #2 PACK WAS SHUT DOWN; THE SMOKE AND HAZE WAS VISIBLE IN THE COCKPIT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND A DIVERSION WAS MADE TO A SUITABLE ARPT. WHEN ON THE GND; THE FO'S CONSOLE PANEL WAS OPENED UP AND EVIDENCE OF HIGH HEAT DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE WIRE BUNDLES AND TWO RELAYS. THE RELAYS MAY HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE R PITOT HEAT CIRCUIT AS A #3 PITOT HEAT INOP MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED.

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.