MD81 flight crew reports the smell of hot avionics shortly after landing. After pulling into the gat...

Attributes
ACN	746802
Time
Date	200707
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mke.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-81
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	746802
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Upon landing at mke; we smelled a smell like very warm avionics; or possibly smoke. As a crew we briefly discussed the odor and searched for a source; the smell was very light; so light that we agreed that it must be just a 'normal' warm avionics smell. Upon arrival at the gate; ground crew advised us that 'we were smoking.' the captain coordinated with the jetway driver and commenced unloading people. I communicated with the maintenance coordinator and ground crew. Maintenance advised shutting down all power (exterior; batteries; emergency power; and emergency lights). The captain had already commenced shutting down the electrical components and complied with the maintenance suggestions. Due to electrical system limitations; the flight attendants in the back could not be notified and the PA was not functioning. Passenger were unloaded with normal ambient light sources and no injuries were noted. After passenger were unloaded; the crew inspected the exterior along with the mechanics and decided to summon crash fire rescue equipment as a precaution. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: maintenance discovered after things had cooled that the battery charger had failed; causing the smoke. Why the circuit breakers did not trip and remove power from the battery charger is unknown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD81 FLT CREW REPORTS THE SMELL OF HOT AVIONICS SHORTLY AFTER LANDING. AFTER PULLING INTO THE GATE; THE FLT CREW IS INFORMED BY THE GROUND CREW THAT 'YOU ARE SMOKING;' AND CFR IS SUMMONED.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AT MKE; WE SMELLED A SMELL LIKE VERY WARM AVIONICS; OR POSSIBLY SMOKE. AS A CREW WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THE ODOR AND SEARCHED FOR A SOURCE; THE SMELL WAS VERY LIGHT; SO LIGHT THAT WE AGREED THAT IT MUST BE JUST A 'NORMAL' WARM AVIONICS SMELL. UPON ARR AT THE GATE; GND CREW ADVISED US THAT 'WE WERE SMOKING.' THE CAPT COORDINATED WITH THE JETWAY DRIVER AND COMMENCED UNLOADING PEOPLE. I COMMUNICATED WITH THE MAINT COORDINATOR AND GND CREW. MAINT ADVISED SHUTTING DOWN ALL PWR (EXTERIOR; BATTERIES; EMER PWR; AND EMER LIGHTS). THE CAPT HAD ALREADY COMMENCED SHUTTING DOWN THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND COMPLIED WITH THE MAINT SUGGESTIONS. DUE TO ELECTRICAL SYS LIMITATIONS; THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK COULD NOT BE NOTIFIED AND THE PA WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. PAX WERE UNLOADED WITH NORMAL AMBIENT LIGHT SOURCES AND NO INJURIES WERE NOTED. AFTER PAX WERE UNLOADED; THE CREW INSPECTED THE EXTERIOR ALONG WITH THE MECHS AND DECIDED TO SUMMON CFR AS A PRECAUTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: MAINTENANCE DISCOVERED AFTER THINGS HAD COOLED THAT THE BATTERY CHARGER HAD FAILED; CAUSING THE SMOKE. WHY THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS DID NOT TRIP AND REMOVE POWER FROM THE BATTERY CHARGER IS UNKNOWN.

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.

MD81 flight crew reports the smell of hot avionics shortly after landing. After pulling into the gate; the flight crew is informed by the ground crew that 'you are smoking;' and crash fire rescue equipment is summoned.