Narrative:

All departments were ready for an early departure for our journey to ZZZZ. During pushback the purser called and advised the relief first officer that there was a burning smell coming from the video (vtr) storage closet and that he had turned off the master switch. Captain requested relief first officer to kindly go and investigate the situation to smell for any odors in the vicinity. It was deemed appropriate to not allow the pushback crew to disconnect from the aircraft nor start the engines at this point and time. Relief first officer returned to flight deck to advise that he did not smell anything at all and requested the purser to kindly turn on the master video system. Engines were started and taxiing commenced for a departure to runway xx in ZZZ. Upon taxiing towards the runway purser called again to advise that there was another smell and that he observed circuit breaker number J15 had popped. He called back again to say that the smell was getting worse and that circuit breaker number J16 had also popped. He then turned off the master power to the video system once again. Captain requested for dispatch to call flight deck and also requested a phone patch to maintenance. We requested parking aircraft from ground control in order to solve this problem near the beginning of runway. Communicated with dispatch and maintenance giving all details of situation on board aircraft. Maintenance upon learning that in addition to the existing situation with the vtr storage closet; was made aware that we had circuit breaker number L24 on the flight deck below the auxiliary panel next to the relief pilot had popped. Decision was made to return to the gate as this was a serious situation that could have resulted in a fire onboard. Incidentally this is the same aircraft that captain reported on just four days ago with satcom; HF and ACARS being intermittent in ZZZZ. Upon arrival at the gate maintenance boarding the aircraft it was ascertained after conference with the mechanic; the captain elected to refuse the aircraft to continue on to ZZZZ; as the wire bundle obviously must have had chafing due to age and vibration! This would force maintenance to do a thorough check of the problem rather than risk getting the aircraft airborne. Crew was assigned another aircraft; and continued on to ZZZZ.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the cockpit circuit breaker (L24) found popped after returning to the gate was; to best of his recollection; for the cabin service outlets. The reporter performed the cockpit preflight and was certain that the circuit breaker was in during that time period. He does not know the connection between the cabin service outlet circuit and other aircraft systems such as entertainment. Because of previously noted malfunctions; i.e.; satcom; ACARS; etc.; maintenance was particularly interested in having the aircraft available to them for troubleshooting the various electrical systems. The station maintenance personnel thanked the captain for not accepting this aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED ELECTRICAL FUMES NEAR THE FORWARD CABIN ENTERTAINMENT EQUIPMENT AND FOUND ASSOCIATED CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED. THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE WHERE THE CABIN SERVICE OUTLET CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS FOUND POPPED IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: ALL DEPARTMENTS WERE READY FOR AN EARLY DEP FOR OUR JOURNEY TO ZZZZ. DURING PUSHBACK THE PURSER CALLED AND ADVISED THE RELIEF FO THAT THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE VIDEO (VTR) STORAGE CLOSET AND THAT HE HAD TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. CAPT REQUESTED RELIEF FO TO KINDLY GO AND INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION TO SMELL FOR ANY ODORS IN THE VICINITY. IT WAS DEEMED APPROPRIATE TO NOT ALLOW THE PUSHBACK CREW TO DISCONNECT FROM THE ACFT NOR START THE ENGINES AT THIS POINT AND TIME. RELIEF FO RETURNED TO FLT DECK TO ADVISE THAT HE DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING AT ALL AND REQUESTED THE PURSER TO KINDLY TURN ON THE MASTER VIDEO SYSTEM. ENGINES WERE STARTED AND TAXIING COMMENCED FOR A DEP TO RWY XX IN ZZZ. UPON TAXIING TOWARDS THE RWY PURSER CALLED AGAIN TO ADVISE THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER SMELL AND THAT HE OBSERVED CIRCUIT BREAKER NUMBER J15 HAD POPPED. HE CALLED BACK AGAIN TO SAY THAT THE SMELL WAS GETTING WORSE AND THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER NUMBER J16 HAD ALSO POPPED. HE THEN TURNED OFF THE MASTER POWER TO THE VIDEO SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN. CAPT REQUESTED FOR DISPATCH TO CALL FLT DECK AND ALSO REQUESTED A PHONE PATCH TO MAINTENANCE. WE REQUESTED PARKING ACFT FROM GND CTL IN ORDER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM NEAR THE BEGINNING OF RWY. COMMUNICATED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINTENANCE GIVING ALL DETAILS OF SITUATION ON BOARD ACFT. MAINTENANCE UPON LEARNING THAT IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING SITUATION WITH THE VTR STORAGE CLOSET; WAS MADE AWARE THAT WE HAD CIRCUIT BREAKER NUMBER L24 ON THE FLT DECK BELOW THE AUX PANEL NEXT TO THE RELIEF PLT HAD POPPED. DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO THE GATE AS THIS WAS A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE ONBOARD. INCIDENTALLY THIS IS THE SAME ACFT THAT CAPT RPTED ON JUST FOUR DAYS AGO WITH SATCOM; HF AND ACARS BEING INTERMITTENT IN ZZZZ. UPON ARR AT THE GATE MAINTENANCE BOARDING THE ACFT IT WAS ASCERTAINED AFTER CONFERENCE WITH THE MECHANIC; THE CAPT ELECTED TO REFUSE THE ACFT TO CONTINUE ON TO ZZZZ; AS THE WIRE BUNDLE OBVIOUSLY MUST HAVE HAD CHAFING DUE TO AGE AND VIBRATION! THIS WOULD FORCE MAINTENANCE TO DO A THOROUGH CHECK OF THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN RISK GETTING THE ACFT AIRBORNE. CREW WAS ASSIGNED ANOTHER ACFT; AND CONTINUED ON TO ZZZZ.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE COCKPIT CIRCUIT BREAKER (L24) FOUND POPPED AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE WAS; TO BEST OF HIS RECOLLECTION; FOR THE CABIN SERVICE OUTLETS. THE RPTR PERFORMED THE COCKPIT PREFLIGHT AND WAS CERTAIN THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS IN DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. HE DOES NOT KNOW THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CABIN SERVICE OUTLET CIRCUIT AND OTHER ACFT SYSTEMS SUCH AS ENTERTAINMENT. BECAUSE OF PREVIOUSLY NOTED MALFUNCTIONS; I.E.; SATCOM; ACARS; ETC.; MAINTENANCE WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN HAVING THE ACFT AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR TROUBLESHOOTING THE VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THE STATION MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL THANKED THE CAPT FOR NOT ACCEPTING THIS ACFT.

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.