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A MD80 flight attendant reports the cockpit and cabin filled with electrical smoke/fumes after takeoff. APU placarded inoperative during preflight because it would not hold power. Emergency declared and flight returned to departure airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 700759 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200606 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | other |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| 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 : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 8 flight attendant time total : 11 flight attendant time type : 99 |
| ASRS Report | 700759 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Maintenance placarded APU inoperative before flight departed. Pilots could not start engine even with an airstart. Finally; we left gate and took off. I immediately smelled a burning smell; electrical. Cockpit called said cockpit was full of smoke. We said the cabin also was full of smoke. We landed safely with no incident. This is my third emergency landing in the last year plus other problems with this fleet type. I do not feel safe on air carrier planes anymore. I don't trust the maintenance. I hope they are not cutting back. I have been having panic attacks due to these events.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the APU was placarded inoperative because it would not hold electrical power. The reporter knows the smell of overheated oil on the air conditioning system and what the reporter experienced was definitely electrical. Reporter was unable to find out the origin of the smoke and fumes; other than electrical.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A MD80 FLT ATTENDANT RPTS THE COCKPIT AND CABIN FILLED WITH ELECTRICAL SMOKE/FUMES AFTER TKOF. APU PLACARDED INOP DURING PREFLT BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT HOLD POWER. EMER DECLARED AND FLT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.
Narrative: MAINT PLACARDED APU INOP BEFORE FLT DEPARTED. PLTS COULD NOT START ENG EVEN WITH AN AIRSTART. FINALLY; WE LEFT GATE AND TOOK OFF. I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED A BURNING SMELL; ELECTRICAL. COCKPIT CALLED SAID COCKPIT WAS FULL OF SMOKE. WE SAID THE CABIN ALSO WAS FULL OF SMOKE. WE LANDED SAFELY WITH NO INCIDENT. THIS IS MY THIRD EMER LNDG IN THE LAST YEAR PLUS OTHER PROBS WITH THIS FLEET TYPE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE ON ACR PLANES ANYMORE. I DON'T TRUST THE MAINT. I HOPE THEY ARE NOT CUTTING BACK. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PANIC ATTACKS DUE TO THESE EVENTS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE APU WAS PLACARDED INOP BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT HOLD ELECTRICAL POWER. THE RPTR KNOWS THE SMELL OF OVERHEATED OIL ON THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND WHAT THE RPTR EXPERIENCED WAS DEFINITELY ELECTRICAL. RPTR WAS UNABLE TO FIND OUT THE ORIGIN OF THE SMOKE AND FUMES; OTHER THAN ELECTRICAL.
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.