Narrative:

Prior to departure a strong pungent odor was noticed a few mins after starting the APU. The area affected was the cockpit and the forward part of the plane from the cockpit to doors 2L and 2R. Maintenance was called; agreed there was a strong odor; but could find no cause other than possible engine work 7 days prior with an engineering note that odor might be present. Dispatch was consulted; and apprised of the situation. My concern at the time was that the odor was strong enough that the crew might be affected and become ill; not to mention the effect on the passenger. Maintenance indicated that after normal flight operations; the odor would probably resolve itself. I indicated to dispatch that in the event that severe crew discomfort/illness/sickness/incapacitation became apparent; that we would have to divert to a suitable airport. Departure was normal in essentially VFR conditions. However; the odor seemed to me to be getting stronger as we climbed through approximately 12-15000 ft. I felt slightly light headed; remarked on the same to the first officer and planned on requesting a snack in case this was due to lack of food. They both indicated they could certainly notice the smell but that it was not debilitating at that time. Climbing through approximately FL230 we received an EICAS message 'smoke crew rest F/D.' while ZZZ center was passing us on to next center we indicated a potential problem; requested leveloff and remain with ZZZ center. First officer went back to inspect the forward crew rest area and forward cabin. Shortly after she did so we received a call from the purser that there was easily visible grey-white smoke in the forward cabin. At that time we immediately requested descent. Considering factors of weight (ie overweight landing) and time it was determined that ZZZ was the safest place to land. We requested a return to ZZZ; and the necessity to jettison fuel; as much as possible. A cabin advisory was issued shortly thereafter. Oxygen masks were donned in the cockpit. With the possibility of an onboard fire we indicated we would jettison as much as possible and plan on landing overweight as necessary to expedite landing and reduce exposure to any fire hazard. We were given a clearance to jettison fuel during descent. Fire assistance was requested as a precaution. Center; approach and tower provided absolutely top notch assistance. Vectors were provided to a few miles outside the OM to runway. Fuel jettison was terminated crossing the shoreline. We were advised the smoke level was still reduced. A smooth; normal landing was achieved; passenger advised to remain seated. Rather than an evacuation on or near the runway; we elected to proceed toward the gate; with fire trucks observing us. Arriving at the gate; there was no immediate help from ground staff getting the jetway to the aircraft. It took several calls to get the jetway to the aircraft. We anticipated an evacuation at the gate area; as was the purser. At the time the jetway arrived; the visible smoke has dissipated; however the odor was still apparent to all; including the arriving fire fighters.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW HAS SMOKE/FUMES EICAS MSG DURING CLB; DECLARES EMER AND DIVERTS FOR LNDG.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP A STRONG PUNGENT ODOR WAS NOTICED A FEW MINS AFTER STARTING THE APU. THE AREA AFFECTED WAS THE COCKPIT AND THE FORWARD PART OF THE PLANE FROM THE COCKPIT TO DOORS 2L AND 2R. MAINT WAS CALLED; AGREED THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR; BUT COULD FIND NO CAUSE OTHER THAN POSSIBLE ENGINE WORK 7 DAYS PRIOR WITH AN ENGINEERING NOTE THAT ODOR MIGHT BE PRESENT. DISPATCH WAS CONSULTED; AND APPRISED OF THE SITUATION. MY CONCERN AT THE TIME WAS THAT THE ODOR WAS STRONG ENOUGH THAT THE CREW MIGHT BE AFFECTED AND BECOME ILL; NOT TO MENTION THE EFFECT ON THE PAX. MAINT INDICATED THAT AFTER NORMAL FLT OPS; THE ODOR WOULD PROBABLY RESOLVE ITSELF. I INDICATED TO DISPATCH THAT IN THE EVENT THAT SEVERE CREW DISCOMFORT/ILLNESS/SICKNESS/INCAPACITATION BECAME APPARENT; THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DIVERT TO A SUITABLE ARPT. DEP WAS NORMAL IN ESSENTIALLY VFR CONDITIONS. HOWEVER; THE ODOR SEEMED TO ME TO BE GETTING STRONGER AS WE CLBED THROUGH APPROX 12-15000 FT. I FELT SLIGHTLY LIGHT HEADED; REMARKED ON THE SAME TO THE FO AND PLANNED ON REQUESTING A SNACK IN CASE THIS WAS DUE TO LACK OF FOOD. THEY BOTH INDICATED THEY COULD CERTAINLY NOTICE THE SMELL BUT THAT IT WAS NOT DEBILITATING AT THAT TIME. CLBING THROUGH APPROX FL230 WE RECEIVED AN EICAS MSG 'SMOKE CREW REST F/D.' WHILE ZZZ CTR WAS PASSING US ON TO NEXT CTR WE INDICATED A POTENTIAL PROB; REQUESTED LEVELOFF AND REMAIN WITH ZZZ CTR. FO WENT BACK TO INSPECT THE FORWARD CREW REST AREA AND FORWARD CABIN. SHORTLY AFTER SHE DID SO WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PURSER THAT THERE WAS EASILY VISIBLE GREY-WHITE SMOKE IN THE FORWARD CABIN. AT THAT TIME WE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED DESCENT. CONSIDERING FACTORS OF WEIGHT (IE OVERWEIGHT LNDG) AND TIME IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ZZZ WAS THE SAFEST PLACE TO LAND. WE REQUESTED A RETURN TO ZZZ; AND THE NECESSITY TO JETTISON FUEL; AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. A CABIN ADVISORY WAS ISSUED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. OXYGEN MASKS WERE DONNED IN THE COCKPIT. WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ONBOARD FIRE WE INDICATED WE WOULD JETTISON AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND PLAN ON LNDG OVERWEIGHT AS NECESSARY TO EXPEDITE LNDG AND REDUCE EXPOSURE TO ANY FIRE HAZARD. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO JETTISON FUEL DURING DESCENT. FIRE ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED AS A PRECAUTION. CTR; APCH AND TOWER PROVIDED ABSOLUTELY TOP NOTCH ASSISTANCE. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED TO A FEW MILES OUTSIDE THE OM TO RWY. FUEL JETTISON WAS TERMINATED CROSSING THE SHORELINE. WE WERE ADVISED THE SMOKE LEVEL WAS STILL REDUCED. A SMOOTH; NORMAL LNDG WAS ACHIEVED; PAX ADVISED TO REMAIN SEATED. RATHER THAN AN EVACUATION ON OR NEAR THE RWY; WE ELECTED TO PROCEED TOWARD THE GATE; WITH FIRE TRUCKS OBSERVING US. ARRIVING AT THE GATE; THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE HELP FROM GND STAFF GETTING THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT. IT TOOK SEVERAL CALLS TO GET THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT. WE ANTICIPATED AN EVACUATION AT THE GATE AREA; AS WAS THE PURSER. AT THE TIME THE JETWAY ARRIVED; THE VISIBLE SMOKE HAS DISSIPATED; HOWEVER THE ODOR WAS STILL APPARENT TO ALL; INCLUDING THE ARRIVING FIRE FIGHTERS.

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.