Narrative:

Approaching top of descent at FL370; we noticed a strong odor in the cockpit that smelled like garlic. We asked the purser if she had been cooking anything and to check and see if anything was burning in the galley. She said no. She came up to investigate with us and confirmed that the odor was localized to the cockpit area; yet we could not find the source. When we began our descent the odor increased; and became more acrid. As we continued our descent; the odor increased. The purser then called and said that the video controller was very hot. We donned the oxygen masks and established crew communication; I directed the copilot to fly the aircraft and talk to ATC while I attempted to coordinate with the flight attendants and dispatch. I had some success coordinating with the flight attendants; who indicated that they were smelling a similar odor at door 3L; from the vents. We declared an emergency with ATC and attempted to contact dispatch on comrdo. They could not understand my xmissions with the mask on; so I abandoned the attempt. Also; we were getting close to landing so I rejoined the copilot who had completed the approach descent check and was coordinating for landing. On final; we thought we saw some wisps of smoke; so we donned the goggles as well; which further restr our visibility. The copilot took his off to be able to see well enough to land the aircraft; while I kept my goggles on. Upon landing; we exited at the high-speed and met with crash recovery. They inspected us; confirmed no fire; and followed us to the gate. We deplaned the passenger as the fire department came on the aircraft to inspect for heat. They confirmed that there was heat by the video controller and rubber on the wire bundle had melted. We have the following lessons learned/observations: using the mask/goggle combination was dangerous -- extremely cumbersome and confusing. There are too many switch manipulations necessary to communicate with the other crew member and coordinate with ATC. This made it difficult to come up with a game plan while trying to understand ATC instructions during a critical phase of flight. Additionally; the goggles further restr our field of vision; which made it dangerous to fly the aircraft with them on. There is a huge loss of peripheral vision. I kept my goggles on; but the copilot took his off to be able to land the aircraft safely. Also; wearing glasses with this confign was very cumbersome. This needs to be addressed before more dire situation occurs requiring use of the mask/goggle combination. There was a deadheading pilot and flight attendant who were instrumental in calming the passenger; especially after hearing my announcement given through the mask microphone. Use your resources wisely. At first we thought we would continue on but later changed our minds. The drive to 'get the mission done' was strong for both of us. Contemplating another demanding leg to an airport neither of us were familiar with; coupled with the adrenaline rush we were both feeling; made us decide to err on the side of caution. We coordinated with the duty manager and went to the hotel. On the ride to the hotel; we both felt that our eyes were more irritated and we had headaches and nausea. Good thing we decided to abandon the trip until we were sure that we would recover. Another reason to look at getting a better mask/goggle confign for the 75/76 aircraft. I felt a reluctance to declare an emergency. This surprised me. I believe that my perception of the possible consequences (FAA fines; etc) as well as; concern that passenger would be too alarmed; were instrumental in this. This is my own problem that I feel that I need to work through so that I am more prepared to do the right thing next time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW REPORTS FUMES AT FL370. DURING DESCENT ODOR BECOMES STRONGER AND OXYGEN MASKS AND SMOKE GOGGLES ARE DONNED. LANDING AT DESTINATION.

Narrative: APCHING TOP OF DSCNT AT FL370; WE NOTICED A STRONG ODOR IN THE COCKPIT THAT SMELLED LIKE GARLIC. WE ASKED THE PURSER IF SHE HAD BEEN COOKING ANYTHING AND TO CHK AND SEE IF ANYTHING WAS BURNING IN THE GALLEY. SHE SAID NO. SHE CAME UP TO INVESTIGATE WITH US AND CONFIRMED THAT THE ODOR WAS LOCALIZED TO THE COCKPIT AREA; YET WE COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE. WHEN WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT THE ODOR INCREASED; AND BECAME MORE ACRID. AS WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT; THE ODOR INCREASED. THE PURSER THEN CALLED AND SAID THAT THE VIDEO CTLR WAS VERY HOT. WE DONNED THE OXYGEN MASKS AND ESTABLISHED CREW COM; I DIRECTED THE COPLT TO FLY THE ACFT AND TALK TO ATC WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO COORDINATE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND DISPATCH. I HAD SOME SUCCESS COORDINATING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS; WHO INDICATED THAT THEY WERE SMELLING A SIMILAR ODOR AT DOOR 3L; FROM THE VENTS. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH ON COMRDO. THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND MY XMISSIONS WITH THE MASK ON; SO I ABANDONED THE ATTEMPT. ALSO; WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO LNDG SO I REJOINED THE COPLT WHO HAD COMPLETED THE APCH DSCNT CHK AND WAS COORDINATING FOR LNDG. ON FINAL; WE THOUGHT WE SAW SOME WISPS OF SMOKE; SO WE DONNED THE GOGGLES AS WELL; WHICH FURTHER RESTR OUR VISIBILITY. THE COPLT TOOK HIS OFF TO BE ABLE TO SEE WELL ENOUGH TO LAND THE ACFT; WHILE I KEPT MY GOGGLES ON. UPON LNDG; WE EXITED AT THE HIGH-SPD AND MET WITH CRASH RECOVERY. THEY INSPECTED US; CONFIRMED NO FIRE; AND FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE. WE DEPLANED THE PAX AS THE FIRE DEPT CAME ON THE ACFT TO INSPECT FOR HEAT. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS HEAT BY THE VIDEO CTLR AND RUBBER ON THE WIRE BUNDLE HAD MELTED. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING LESSONS LEARNED/OBSERVATIONS: USING THE MASK/GOGGLE COMBINATION WAS DANGEROUS -- EXTREMELY CUMBERSOME AND CONFUSING. THERE ARE TOO MANY SWITCH MANIPULATIONS NECESSARY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE OTHER CREW MEMBER AND COORDINATE WITH ATC. THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH A GAME PLAN WHILE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ATC INSTRUCTIONS DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. ADDITIONALLY; THE GOGGLES FURTHER RESTR OUR FIELD OF VISION; WHICH MADE IT DANGEROUS TO FLY THE ACFT WITH THEM ON. THERE IS A HUGE LOSS OF PERIPHERAL VISION. I KEPT MY GOGGLES ON; BUT THE COPLT TOOK HIS OFF TO BE ABLE TO LAND THE ACFT SAFELY. ALSO; WEARING GLASSES WITH THIS CONFIGN WAS VERY CUMBERSOME. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE MORE DIRE SITUATION OCCURS REQUIRING USE OF THE MASK/GOGGLE COMBINATION. THERE WAS A DEADHEADING PLT AND FLT ATTENDANT WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN CALMING THE PAX; ESPECIALLY AFTER HEARING MY ANNOUNCEMENT GIVEN THROUGH THE MASK MIKE. USE YOUR RESOURCES WISELY. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT WE WOULD CONTINUE ON BUT LATER CHANGED OUR MINDS. THE DRIVE TO 'GET THE MISSION DONE' WAS STRONG FOR BOTH OF US. CONTEMPLATING ANOTHER DEMANDING LEG TO AN ARPT NEITHER OF US WERE FAMILIAR WITH; COUPLED WITH THE ADRENALINE RUSH WE WERE BOTH FEELING; MADE US DECIDE TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. WE COORDINATED WITH THE DUTY MGR AND WENT TO THE HOTEL. ON THE RIDE TO THE HOTEL; WE BOTH FELT THAT OUR EYES WERE MORE IRRITATED AND WE HAD HEADACHES AND NAUSEA. GOOD THING WE DECIDED TO ABANDON THE TRIP UNTIL WE WERE SURE THAT WE WOULD RECOVER. ANOTHER REASON TO LOOK AT GETTING A BETTER MASK/GOGGLE CONFIGN FOR THE 75/76 ACFT. I FELT A RELUCTANCE TO DECLARE AN EMER. THIS SURPRISED ME. I BELIEVE THAT MY PERCEPTION OF THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES (FAA FINES; ETC) AS WELL AS; CONCERN THAT PAX WOULD BE TOO ALARMED; WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS. THIS IS MY OWN PROB THAT I FEEL THAT I NEED TO WORK THROUGH SO THAT I AM MORE PREPARED TO DO THE RIGHT THING NEXT TIME.

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.