A B747-400 on taxi out had smoke in the cabin. They taxied back into the gate where the captain beca...

Attributes
ACN	745046
Time
Date	200707
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	745046
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	745525
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We were on taxi out and got a call from the purser that he smelled an acidic smell and saw smoke near the stairs. We asked him to call back once he assessed the situation. We then got a call from the upper deck that they saw smoke and smelled an electrical smell. The captain told me to go back to have a look. As I walked down the aisle; a flight attendant was using a halon extinguisher in the vent on the top of the overhead panel. The flight attendant said she saw fire coming from the vents on both sides of the upper deck ceiling but had put it out. I immediately went back to the cockpit and reported the fire. The captain immediately taxied the airplane to the gate and requested the fire department. Taxi in was uneventful. After parking the acrid smell continued. We deplaned as the flight canceled. Supplemental information from acn 745525: I directed first officer to log item; but was rebutted by maintenance about using the word fire in the log. I had safety concerns with the crew desk trying to re-crew the aircraft in order to complete the flight. Callback conversation with reporter acn 745046 revealed the following information: reporter stated the probable cause of the smoke was a defective fluorescent light ballast.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 ON TAXI OUT HAD SMOKE IN THE CABIN. THEY TAXIED BACK INTO THE GATE WHERE THE CAPT BECAME CONCERNED WHEN MAINT WANTED HIM TO OMIT THE WORD 'FIRE' FROM HIS LOG ENTRY.

Narrative: WE WERE ON TAXI OUT AND GOT A CALL FROM THE PURSER THAT HE SMELLED AN ACIDIC SMELL AND SAW SMOKE NEAR THE STAIRS. WE ASKED HIM TO CALL BACK ONCE HE ASSESSED THE SITUATION. WE THEN GOT A CALL FROM THE UPPER DECK THAT THEY SAW SMOKE AND SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO GO BACK TO HAVE A LOOK. AS I WALKED DOWN THE AISLE; A FLT ATTENDANT WAS USING A HALON EXTINGUISHER IN THE VENT ON THE TOP OF THE OVERHEAD PANEL. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE SAW FIRE COMING FROM THE VENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE UPPER DECK CEILING BUT HAD PUT IT OUT. I IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO THE COCKPIT AND RPTED THE FIRE. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE GATE AND REQUESTED THE FIRE DEPT. TAXI IN WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER PARKING THE ACRID SMELL CONTINUED. WE DEPLANED AS THE FLT CANCELED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 745525: I DIRECTED FO TO LOG ITEM; BUT WAS REBUTTED BY MAINT ABOUT USING THE WORD FIRE IN THE LOG. I HAD SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE CREW DESK TRYING TO RE-CREW THE ACFT IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 745046 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE WAS A DEFECTIVE FLUORESCENT LIGHT BALLAST.

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 B747-400 on taxi out had smoke in the cabin. They taxied back into the gate where the captain became concerned when maintenance wanted him to omit the word 'fire' from his log entry.