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Air carrier flight crew noticed odor in cockpit just after reaching cruise altitude. Flight att confirmed the odor was also in the cabin. Flight crew declared an emergency and returned to departure airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 738750 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 738750 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : flt att 2 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
An overweight landing was made using the captain's emergency authority/authorized in accordance with paragraph C. Landing was smooth; sink rate less than 100 FPM at 135 KTS with light braking required; gross weight of 204500 pounds. At cruise just after leveloff we noticed an unknown odor in the cockpit. The captain checked with the #1 flight attendant to see if it was coming from one of the ovens. She said she noticed it as well and thought it was from the oven. The odor seemed to dissipate then strengthen. The flight attendants said they could smell it throughout the cabin but it was strongest near the cockpit. It did not seem to be coming from the ovens. With the source unknown the captain elected to declare the emergency and return to ZZZ landing overweight. Return and landing were uneventful.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR FLT CREW NOTICED ODOR IN COCKPIT JUST AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT. FLT ATT CONFIRMED THE ODOR WAS ALSO IN THE CABIN. FLT CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.
Narrative: AN OVERWT LNDG WAS MADE USING THE CAPT'S EMER AUTH IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH C. LNDG WAS SMOOTH; SINK RATE LESS THAN 100 FPM AT 135 KTS WITH LIGHT BRAKING REQUIRED; GROSS WT OF 204500 LBS. AT CRUISE JUST AFTER LEVELOFF WE NOTICED AN UNKNOWN ODOR IN THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT CHKED WITH THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO SEE IF IT WAS COMING FROM ONE OF THE OVENS. SHE SAID SHE NOTICED IT AS WELL AND THOUGHT IT WAS FROM THE OVEN. THE ODOR SEEMED TO DISSIPATE THEN STRENGTHEN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY COULD SMELL IT THROUGHOUT THE CABIN BUT IT WAS STRONGEST NEAR THE COCKPIT. IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE COMING FROM THE OVENS. WITH THE SOURCE UNKNOWN THE CAPT ELECTED TO DECLARE THE EMER AND RETURN TO ZZZ LNDG OVERWT. RETURN AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL.
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.