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A320 flight crew heard 'popping' sound during cruise followed by an acrid burning odor. It was discovered that the bulb of captain's flashlight; an E2D executive defender; had apparently exploded.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 760318 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200711 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 38000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 760318 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
Loud popping sound in cockpit noted. Source identified as light bulb exploding from surefire E2D executive defender flashlight. An acrid electrical burning odor detected; both pilots went on O2 and the cockpit was ventilated. The electrical smell was cleared and the flight proceeded uneventfully. The flashlight was examined and was hot with the lens shattered along with the bulb. The 3 volt batteries were charred. Suspect the flashlight may have been on as it was used during the preflight. Will no longer use this type of flashlight due to destructive nature of its failure along with the acrid fumes.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the cabin altitude was 7000 ft at the time of occurrence. He is not certain if the flashlight was on or off; but it had been used during the preflight. He stated that the flashlight becomes warm to the touch during use. After the event; the xenon bulb and the lens were shattered; and the batteries were charred. The manufacturer has not yet been contacted.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLT CREW HEARD 'POPPING' SOUND DURING CRUISE FOLLOWED BY AN ACRID BURNING ODOR. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BULB OF CAPT'S FLASHLIGHT; AN E2D EXECUTIVE DEFENDER; HAD APPARENTLY EXPLODED.
Narrative: LOUD POPPING SOUND IN COCKPIT NOTED. SOURCE IDENTIFIED AS LIGHT BULB EXPLODING FROM SUREFIRE E2D EXECUTIVE DEFENDER FLASHLIGHT. AN ACRID ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR DETECTED; BOTH PLTS WENT ON O2 AND THE COCKPIT WAS VENTILATED. THE ELECTRICAL SMELL WAS CLEARED AND THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE FLASHLIGHT WAS EXAMINED AND WAS HOT WITH THE LENS SHATTERED ALONG WITH THE BULB. THE 3 VOLT BATTERIES WERE CHARRED. SUSPECT THE FLASHLIGHT MAY HAVE BEEN ON AS IT WAS USED DURING THE PREFLIGHT. WILL NO LONGER USE THIS TYPE OF FLASHLIGHT DUE TO DESTRUCTIVE NATURE OF ITS FAILURE ALONG WITH THE ACRID FUMES.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE CABIN ALT WAS 7000 FT AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. HE IS NOT CERTAIN IF THE FLASHLIGHT WAS ON OR OFF; BUT IT HAD BEEN USED DURING THE PREFLIGHT. HE STATED THAT THE FLASHLIGHT BECOMES WARM TO THE TOUCH DURING USE. AFTER THE EVENT; THE XENON BULB AND THE LENS WERE SHATTERED; AND THE BATTERIES WERE CHARRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET BEEN CONTACTED.
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.