B747 crew is informed by flight attendant of overheated panel and electrical fumes in aft galley. Ut...

Attributes
ACN	810437
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 32000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	810437
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 15000
ASRS Report	810436
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was 1 of the 2 relief pilots on the flight. Less than 1 hour into our break; the PF crew woke us up and informed us that the flight attendant reported that one of the panels in the aft galley was hot to the touch and that there was a slight burning smell from the panel. The captain sent me to the aft galley to give him a status report. When I arrived at the aft galley; the circuit breaker was already pulled and the panel in question was just warm to the touch. I also noticed that part of the aircraft was dark and the lavatories did not have any lighting when occupied. The captain asked me to review the flight manual on fuel dump versus overweight landing. Apparently; the captain had discussed the issue with maintenance control and they expressed that an overweight landing was acceptable under the circumstance. The crew jettisoned fuel by using the fuel jettison checklist and safely landed in ZZZ. The captain declared an emergency and emergency equipment was standing by during our landing and taxi in. I felt that the captain's decision to return to ZZZ was a prudent course of action and every procedure was accomplished by SOP.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW IS INFORMED BY FLIGHT ATTENDANT OF OVERHEATED PANEL AND ELECTRICAL FUMES IN AFT GALLEY. UTILITY BUS EICAS MESSAGE APPEARS SHORTLY THEREAFTER. EMERGENCY DECLARED AND FLIGHT RETURNS TO DEPARTURE AIRPORT.

Narrative: I WAS 1 OF THE 2 RELIEF PLTS ON THE FLT. LESS THAN 1 HR INTO OUR BREAK; THE PF CREW WOKE US UP AND INFORMED US THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT ONE OF THE PANELS IN THE AFT GALLEY WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH AND THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL FROM THE PANEL. THE CAPT SENT ME TO THE AFT GALLEY TO GIVE HIM A STATUS RPT. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE AFT GALLEY; THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS ALREADY PULLED AND THE PANEL IN QUESTION WAS JUST WARM TO THE TOUCH. I ALSO NOTICED THAT PART OF THE ACFT WAS DARK AND THE LAVATORIES DID NOT HAVE ANY LIGHTING WHEN OCCUPIED. THE CAPT ASKED ME TO REVIEW THE FLT MANUAL ON FUEL DUMP VERSUS OVERWT LNDG. APPARENTLY; THE CAPT HAD DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH MAINT CTL AND THEY EXPRESSED THAT AN OVERWT LNDG WAS ACCEPTABLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCE. THE CREW JETTISONED FUEL BY USING THE FUEL JETTISON CHKLIST AND SAFELY LANDED IN ZZZ. THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND EMER EQUIP WAS STANDING BY DURING OUR LNDG AND TAXI IN. I FELT THAT THE CAPT'S DECISION TO RETURN TO ZZZ WAS A PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION AND EVERY PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY SOP.

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.

B747 crew is informed by flight attendant of overheated panel and electrical fumes in aft galley. Utility bus EICAS message appears shortly thereafter. Emergency declared and flight returns to departure airport.