Narrative:

Shortly after leveling off at FL360; both pilots noticed a strong; unmistakable electrical odor in the cockpit accompanied by a noticeable increase in the temperature. My initial instinct was to divert and put the oxygen mask on; but the captain was very aware of the situation and his instincts were to shut down some of the non essential electrical equipment before the situation got worse. We started with the recirculation fans; followed shortly by the window heat. This appeared to fix the problem as the odor and heat dissipated at a fairly quick pace. With the problem under control; we decided it was safe to continue although we had much conversation as to what the problem actually was. On our descent into landing; we decided to troubleshoot the window heat by bringing them back one button at a time in about 5 min increments. We moved left to right on the buttons and again noticed a much less pungent electrical smell on one of the captain's window controls. We shut the heat off again and talked candidly with maintenance when we arrived.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FO REPORTS ELECTRICAL ODOR AT FL360 WHICH DISAPPEARS WHEN WINDOW HEAT IS TURNED OFF. FLT CONTINUES TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF AT FL360; BOTH PLTS NOTICED A STRONG; UNMISTAKABLE ELECTRICAL ODOR IN THE COCKPIT ACCOMPANIED BY A NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN THE TEMP. MY INITIAL INSTINCT WAS TO DIVERT AND PUT THE OXYGEN MASK ON; BUT THE CAPT WAS VERY AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND HIS INSTINCTS WERE TO SHUT DOWN SOME OF THE NON ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIP BEFORE THE SITUATION GOT WORSE. WE STARTED WITH THE RECIRCULATION FANS; FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE WINDOW HEAT. THIS APPEARED TO FIX THE PROB AS THE ODOR AND HEAT DISSIPATED AT A FAIRLY QUICK PACE. WITH THE PROB UNDER CTL; WE DECIDED IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE ALTHOUGH WE HAD MUCH CONVERSATION AS TO WHAT THE PROB ACTUALLY WAS. ON OUR DSCNT INTO LNDG; WE DECIDED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE WINDOW HEAT BY BRINGING THEM BACK ONE BUTTON AT A TIME IN ABOUT 5 MIN INCREMENTS. WE MOVED L TO R ON THE BUTTONS AND AGAIN NOTICED A MUCH LESS PUNGENT ELECTRICAL SMELL ON ONE OF THE CAPT'S WINDOW CTLS. WE SHUT THE HEAT OFF AGAIN AND TALKED CANDIDLY WITH MAINT WHEN WE ARRIVED.

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.