A B737 flight crew performing a functional test flight to check for smoke; notices instantaneous and...

Attributes
ACN	784135
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sea.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time type : 5500
ASRS Report	784135
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flew aircraft for functional check flight to check for smoke. On landing after touchdown and initial deployment of thrust reversers; smoke filled the cockpit and cabin. Instantaneous and large amounts of smoke. Difficulty seeing other crew member. Stowed thrust reversers; opened windows and put on oxygen mask. Smoke dissipated after approximately 30-60 seconds. No additional smoke on taxi in. Company engineer was in cabin as observer and saw smoke on floor after landing and looked aft to see a wall of smoke moving forward in cabin. At hangar; debriefed copilot and observer. Suggested they contact a doctor for smoke inhalation. Oxygen masks were put on rapidly and no crew member requested assistance. This was a test flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated there was a sweet smell of some type of fluid; or oil; that happened along with the smoke; when going into reverse thrust on the B737 aircraft. Maintenance originally thought a 5TH stage clamp on the cfm-56 engine was contributing to the problem. Reporter stated the #1 engine was changed for the smoke issue prior to his functional test flight; but the same cockpit and cabin smoke condition reappeared during his flight test. Reporter also stated the problem seems more associated with the left air conditioning pack. This was his third aircraft with smoke issues in the cockpit and cabin.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLIGHT CREW PERFORMING A FUNCTIONAL TEST FLIGHT TO CHECK FOR SMOKE; NOTICES INSTANTANEOUS AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE FILLED THE COCKPIT AND CABIN AFTER INITIAL DEPLOYMENT OF THRUST REVERSERS.

Narrative: FLEW ACFT FOR FUNCTIONAL CHK FLT TO CHK FOR SMOKE. ON LNDG AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND INITIAL DEPLOYMENT OF THRUST REVERSERS; SMOKE FILLED THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. INSTANTANEOUS AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE. DIFFICULTY SEEING OTHER CREW MEMBER. STOWED THRUST REVERSERS; OPENED WINDOWS AND PUT ON OXYGEN MASK. SMOKE DISSIPATED AFTER APPROX 30-60 SECONDS. NO ADDITIONAL SMOKE ON TAXI IN. COMPANY ENGINEER WAS IN CABIN AS OBSERVER AND SAW SMOKE ON FLOOR AFTER LNDG AND LOOKED AFT TO SEE A WALL OF SMOKE MOVING FORWARD IN CABIN. AT HANGAR; DEBRIEFED COPLT AND OBSERVER. SUGGESTED THEY CONTACT A DOCTOR FOR SMOKE INHALATION. OXYGEN MASKS WERE PUT ON RAPIDLY AND NO CREW MEMBER REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. THIS WAS A TEST FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THERE WAS A SWEET SMELL OF SOME TYPE OF FLUID; OR OIL; THAT HAPPENED ALONG WITH THE SMOKE; WHEN GOING INTO REVERSE THRUST ON THE B737 ACFT. MAINT ORIGINALLY THOUGHT A 5TH STAGE CLAMP ON THE CFM-56 ENGINE WAS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM. REPORTER STATED THE #1 ENGINE WAS CHANGED FOR THE SMOKE ISSUE PRIOR TO HIS FUNCTIONAL TEST FLIGHT; BUT THE SAME COCKPIT AND CABIN SMOKE CONDITION REAPPEARED DURING HIS FLIGHT TEST. REPORTER ALSO STATED THE PROBLEM SEEMS MORE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEFT AIR CONDITIONING PACK. THIS WAS HIS THIRD ACFT WITH SMOKE ISSUES IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN.

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.

A B737 flight crew performing a functional test flight to check for smoke; notices instantaneous and large amounts of smoke filled the cockpit and cabin after initial deployment of thrust reversers.