Narrative:

Climbing through 11000 ft noticed cabin fumes; strong heated plastic/electrical insulation smell. Flight attendant notified us that there were fumes in the forward cabin. We notified ATC and declared an in-flight emergency. We completed the cabin/cockpit fire/smoke/fumes checklist. We decided to divert. We requested crash fire rescue equipment. We landed without further incident and taxied to the gate.callback conversation with reporter acn 776229 revealed the following information: the reporter stated that his crew diverted the aircraft to the nearby station wearing O2 masks after completing the fire and smoke checklist. Contract maintenance at that station working with his air carrier's maintenance isolated the smell to the right pack because each time the right pack was turned on the smell returned. The crew questioned this because the smell was electrical and usually does not originate in the air conditioning system. Ultimately the aircraft was given a ferry permit and flown to the air carrier's maintenance base. Two days later this crew reported for duty and were again given the same aircraft. While maintenance was performing their normal preflight the left landing light burned out. Maintenance replaced the light and it again immediately burned out; this time with the same electrical smell the crew smelled two days earlier. Maintenance then looked under the flight attendant's forward jump seat and saw the relay controlling the left landing light visibly arcing. The reporter stated the aircraft was taken back into maintenance. The reporter stated that he learned several lessons from this event: with an electrical smell; question maintenance in a CRM manner if they determine that the smell is caused by the air conditioning. The reporter is also concerned that the commuter aircraft are exposed to the WX because the aircraft can situation on the ramp and at the gate exposed to WX including rain falling through the open hatch on the forward jumpseat with sensitive electronics under or near it. The reporter's final concern was about a solo flight attendant becoming overwhelmed by smoke and/or fumes during a cabin event. The reporter felt that the flight attendant should be instructed to use O2 in order to remain conscious in order to aid the passenger should an evacuation be necessary.callback conversation with reporter acn 776230 revealed the following information: the reporter stated maintenance noticed that the left landing light had been changed numerous times. After this event they did more investigating and found that a wire between the cockpit light switch and light was shorting out causing the light to fail. The reporter was told the burned wiring is what the crew smelled on takeoff that day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB135 CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED AFTER SMELLING STRONG ELECTRICAL FUMES IN COCKPIT AND CABIN. A WIRE BETWEEN THE LNDG LIGHT AND SWITCH WAS BURNED.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH 11000 FT NOTICED CABIN FUMES; STRONG HEATED PLASTIC/ELECTRICAL INSULATION SMELL. FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED US THAT THERE WERE FUMES IN THE FORWARD CABIN. WE NOTIFIED ATC AND DECLARED AN INFLT EMER. WE COMPLETED THE CABIN/COCKPIT FIRE/SMOKE/FUMES CHECKLIST. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT. WE REQUESTED CFR. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO THE GATE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 776229 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS CREW DIVERTED THE ACFT TO THE NEARBY STATION WEARING O2 MASKS AFTER COMPLETING THE FIRE AND SMOKE CHECKLIST. CONTRACT MAINT AT THAT STATION WORKING WITH HIS ACR'S MAINT ISOLATED THE SMELL TO THE R PACK BECAUSE EACH TIME THE R PACK WAS TURNED ON THE SMELL RETURNED. THE CREW QUESTIONED THIS BECAUSE THE SMELL WAS ELECTRICAL AND USUALLY DOES NOT ORIGINATE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. ULTIMATELY THE ACFT WAS GIVEN A FERRY PERMIT AND FLOWN TO THE ACR'S MAINT BASE. TWO DAYS LATER THIS CREW RPTED FOR DUTY AND WERE AGAIN GIVEN THE SAME ACFT. WHILE MAINT WAS PERFORMING THEIR NORMAL PREFLT THE L LNDG LIGHT BURNED OUT. MAINT REPLACED THE LIGHT AND IT AGAIN IMMEDIATELY BURNED OUT; THIS TIME WITH THE SAME ELECTRICAL SMELL THE CREW SMELLED TWO DAYS EARLIER. MAINT THEN LOOKED UNDER THE FLT ATTENDANT'S FORWARD JUMP SEAT AND SAW THE RELAY CONTROLLING THE L LNDG LIGHT VISIBLY ARCING. THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS TAKEN BACK INTO MAINT. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE LEARNED SEVERAL LESSONS FROM THIS EVENT: WITH AN ELECTRICAL SMELL; QUESTION MAINT IN A CRM MANNER IF THEY DETERMINE THAT THE SMELL IS CAUSED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING. THE RPTR IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE COMMUTER ACFT ARE EXPOSED TO THE WX BECAUSE THE ACFT CAN SIT ON THE RAMP AND AT THE GATE EXPOSED TO WX INCLUDING RAIN FALLING THROUGH THE OPEN HATCH ON THE FORWARD JUMPSEAT WITH SENSITIVE ELECTRONICS UNDER OR NEAR IT. THE RPTR'S FINAL CONCERN WAS ABOUT A SOLO FLT ATTENDANT BECOMING OVERWHELMED BY SMOKE AND/OR FUMES DURING A CABIN EVENT. THE RPTR FELT THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO USE O2 IN ORDER TO REMAIN CONSCIOUS IN ORDER TO AID THE PAX SHOULD AN EVACUATION BE NECESSARY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 776230 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED MAINT NOTICED THAT THE L LNDG LIGHT HAD BEEN CHANGED NUMEROUS TIMES. AFTER THIS EVENT THEY DID MORE INVESTIGATING AND FOUND THAT A WIRE BETWEEN THE COCKPIT LIGHT SWITCH AND LIGHT WAS SHORTING OUT CAUSING THE LIGHT TO FAIL. THE RPTR WAS TOLD THE BURNED WIRING IS WHAT THE CREW SMELLED ON TKOF THAT DAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.