B767 flight attendant detects electrical fumes in the cabin during transatlantic flight and resource...

Attributes
ACN	776748
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Altitude	msl single value : 34000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 2729 flight time type : 630
ASRS Report	776748
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	776747
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was the first officer and our position was somewhere over the atlantic during the following event. I was on second break when approached by a flight attendant concerned about some fumes that he smelled in business class. The area of concern was isolated to the control panel of the lumbar control of a seat. After initially discovering the fumes I spoke with the captain via the interphone to inform him of the situation. I told him we were investigating some fumes in the business class section of the aircraft. The smell of the fumes seemed to be coming from an electrical source or hot; burning plastic. We quickly isolated the fumes to be originating from the seat controls. I asked the flight attendants to secure all known power to the passenger seats while I updated the captain via interphone. The flight attendants secured all audio and video power to the cabin passenger seats. During my conversation with the captain a flight attendant approached me with a fire extinguisher in hand and informed me that smoke was now visibly coming out of the lumbar control panel to the seat. I told him to monitor the situation and to discharge the fire extinguisher if flames appeared. I updated the captain with this information and we decided to secure the utility bus switches. The smoke dissipated quickly once the utility bus switches were turned off. I used a small straightedge to loosen the screws to the lumbar control panel and remove the defective panel. The defective part was visibly obvious. I updated the captain with the situation. He inspected the defective panel and as a crew; pilots and flight attendants; decided the situation was isolated and complete. Power was restored and the flight continued without incident. I am unsure what outside communications the captain made during the incident. I felt he was communicating with outside sources; giving them the information I was relaying to him. After the incident was over; I continued on break and assume maintenance and dispatch was notified since we continued without diverting.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT ATTENDANT DETECTS ELECTRICAL FUMES IN THE CABIN DURING TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT AND RESOURCEFUL OFF DUTY FO LOCATES THE SOURCE IN A SEAT CONTROL AND DISABLES IT.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO AND OUR POS WAS SOMEWHERE OVER THE ATLANTIC DURING THE FOLLOWING EVENT. I WAS ON SECOND BREAK WHEN APCHED BY A FLT ATTENDANT CONCERNED ABOUT SOME FUMES THAT HE SMELLED IN BUSINESS CLASS. THE AREA OF CONCERN WAS ISOLATED TO THE CTL PANEL OF THE LUMBAR CTL OF A SEAT. AFTER INITIALLY DISCOVERING THE FUMES I SPOKE WITH THE CAPT VIA THE INTERPHONE TO INFORM HIM OF THE SITUATION. I TOLD HIM WE WERE INVESTIGATING SOME FUMES IN THE BUSINESS CLASS SECTION OF THE ACFT. THE SMELL OF THE FUMES SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE OR HOT; BURNING PLASTIC. WE QUICKLY ISOLATED THE FUMES TO BE ORIGINATING FROM THE SEAT CTLS. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SECURE ALL KNOWN PWR TO THE PAX SEATS WHILE I UPDATED THE CAPT VIA INTERPHONE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SECURED ALL AUDIO AND VIDEO PWR TO THE CABIN PAX SEATS. DURING MY CONVERSATION WITH THE CAPT A FLT ATTENDANT APCHED ME WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN HAND AND INFORMED ME THAT SMOKE WAS NOW VISIBLY COMING OUT OF THE LUMBAR CTL PANEL TO THE SEAT. I TOLD HIM TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND TO DISCHARGE THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER IF FLAMES APPEARED. I UPDATED THE CAPT WITH THIS INFO AND WE DECIDED TO SECURE THE UTILITY BUS SWITCHES. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED QUICKLY ONCE THE UTILITY BUS SWITCHES WERE TURNED OFF. I USED A SMALL STRAIGHTEDGE TO LOOSEN THE SCREWS TO THE LUMBAR CTL PANEL AND REMOVE THE DEFECTIVE PANEL. THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS VISIBLY OBVIOUS. I UPDATED THE CAPT WITH THE SITUATION. HE INSPECTED THE DEFECTIVE PANEL AND AS A CREW; PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS; DECIDED THE SITUATION WAS ISOLATED AND COMPLETE. PWR WAS RESTORED AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I AM UNSURE WHAT OUTSIDE COMS THE CAPT MADE DURING THE INCIDENT. I FELT HE WAS COMMUNICATING WITH OUTSIDE SOURCES; GIVING THEM THE INFO I WAS RELAYING TO HIM. AFTER THE INCIDENT WAS OVER; I CONTINUED ON BREAK AND ASSUME MAINT AND DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED SINCE WE CONTINUED WITHOUT DIVERTING.

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.

B767 flight attendant detects electrical fumes in the cabin during transatlantic flight and resourceful off duty first officer locates the source in a seat control and disables it.