A B737 ng crew detect fumes; believed to be elec in nature on takeoff; that subsequently appeared to...

Narrative:

Departed at approximately 168000 pounds. Shortly after liftoff we noticed what seemed to be an electrical smell. This smell seemed to lessen as we climbed out but was still there. I advised dispatch via company radio for a patch to maintenance control. I described what we were experiencing and at the same time I had the first officer look at the log book. We had to go back to the completed log book to find some previous history on this problem. As we pressed on towards destination; I decided to have the a flight attendant come forward to see if she could smell the fumes as I thought we may just be getting use to them. She immediately said she could smell the fumes which was also confirmed by the B flight attendant. At this point I had the entire cockpit crew and jump seater go on oxygen which we used until touchdown. Dispatch decided they wanted the aircraft back in ZZZ which was a good decision. At no time did the flight attendants have the fumes in the cabin. We did not feel it was necessary to run the smoke or fumes checklist as the problem I didn't feel warranted its use. There was never any visible fumes or smoke. My main concern on this event was that maintenance control did not come forward immediately with this aircraft's history and the need to immediately get on oxygen. I understand now that previous events in this aircraft have put crews out on medicals.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: initially the crew detected the fumes and thought it was caused from rubber nose tires rubbing the nosewheel snubber during landing gear retraction. The decision was made to wear oxygen masks and return to the departure airport. The first officer suffered a skin reaction or burn from whatever was in the fumes. The reporter stated that the aircraft was inspected and later returned to service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 NG CREW DETECT FUMES; BELIEVED TO BE ELEC IN NATURE ON TKOF; THAT SUBSEQUENTLY APPEARED TO DISSIPATE. LATER A FLT ATTENDANT IN THE COCKPIT DETECTED THE FUMES. THE CREW RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT WITH OXYGEN MASKS ON. THE FO SUFFERED SKIN REACTIONS.

Narrative: DEPARTED AT APPROX 168000 LBS. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF WE NOTICED WHAT SEEMED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. THIS SMELL SEEMED TO LESSEN AS WE CLBED OUT BUT WAS STILL THERE. I ADVISED DISPATCH VIA COMPANY RADIO FOR A PATCH TO MAINT CTL. I DESCRIBED WHAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING AND AT THE SAME TIME I HAD THE FO LOOK AT THE LOG BOOK. WE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE COMPLETED LOG BOOK TO FIND SOME PREVIOUS HISTORY ON THIS PROBLEM. AS WE PRESSED ON TOWARDS DEST; I DECIDED TO HAVE THE A FLT ATTENDANT COME FORWARD TO SEE IF SHE COULD SMELL THE FUMES AS I THOUGHT WE MAY JUST BE GETTING USE TO THEM. SHE IMMEDIATELY SAID SHE COULD SMELL THE FUMES WHICH WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY THE B FLT ATTENDANT. AT THIS POINT I HAD THE ENTIRE COCKPIT CREW AND JUMP SEATER GO ON OXYGEN WHICH WE USED UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. DISPATCH DECIDED THEY WANTED THE ACFT BACK IN ZZZ WHICH WAS A GOOD DECISION. AT NO TIME DID THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE THE FUMES IN THE CABIN. WE DID NOT FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY TO RUN THE SMOKE OR FUMES CHKLIST AS THE PROBLEM I DIDN'T FEEL WARRANTED ITS USE. THERE WAS NEVER ANY VISIBLE FUMES OR SMOKE. MY MAIN CONCERN ON THIS EVENT WAS THAT MAINT CTL DID NOT COME FORWARD IMMEDIATELY WITH THIS ACFT'S HISTORY AND THE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY GET ON OXYGEN. I UNDERSTAND NOW THAT PREVIOUS EVENTS IN THIS ACFT HAVE PUT CREWS OUT ON MEDICALS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: INITIALLY THE CREW DETECTED THE FUMES AND THOUGHT IT WAS CAUSED FROM RUBBER NOSE TIRES RUBBING THE NOSEWHEEL SNUBBER DURING LNDG GEAR RETRACTION. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO WEAR OXYGEN MASKS AND RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT. THE FO SUFFERED A SKIN REACTION OR BURN FROM WHATEVER WAS IN THE FUMES. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED AND LATER RETURNED TO SVC.

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.

Attributes
ACN	785206
Time
Date	200805
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	785206
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

A B737 ng crew detect fumes; believed to be elec in nature on takeoff; that subsequently appeared to dissipate. Later a flight attendant in the cockpit detected the fumes. The crew returned to the departure airport with oxygen masks on. The first officer suffered skin reactions.