Electrical smoke from coffee maker. System deactivated, but no logbook entry made.

Attributes
ACN	96205
Time
Date	198810
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fay
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	96205
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

F/a called cockpit. Reported she saw smoke coming from a coffee pot and had pulled the circuit breaker's. The coffe pot stopped smoking. I went to galley. Only a faint odor remained. Checked for hot spots. Removed coffee pots and told F/a to keep an eye on things. Informed company over sel call. I agreed the aircraft was not in danger and continued to clt (fay was closer). In clt maintenance could find no problem. I instructed them to pull and tie off the galley circuit breaker in the baggage compartment, isolating the galley from all electricity. I did not write the incident in the logbook. There is no MEL relief for that situation. We continued to fly that aircraft and verbally relayed the information to the crew that relieved us. There is a major safety problem in our company. Although we are alpa, we do not get paid if we do not fly. If the aircraft is broken or the WX is below minimums, we situation on the ground where we are and calculate how much pay we are losing. This system places a large burden on the integrity of our crew members. My decision this time, from a common sense point of view, was correct. Legally, probably not. Will I be safe accepting an aircraft from someone else who has made such a judgement?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL SMOKE FROM COFFEE MAKER. SYSTEM DEACTIVATED, BUT NO LOGBOOK ENTRY MADE.

Narrative: F/A CALLED COCKPIT. RPTED SHE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM A COFFEE POT AND HAD PULLED THE CB'S. THE COFFE POT STOPPED SMOKING. I WENT TO GALLEY. ONLY A FAINT ODOR REMAINED. CHKED FOR HOT SPOTS. REMOVED COFFEE POTS AND TOLD F/A TO KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS. INFORMED COMPANY OVER SEL CALL. I AGREED THE ACFT WAS NOT IN DANGER AND CONTINUED TO CLT (FAY WAS CLOSER). IN CLT MAINT COULD FIND NO PROB. I INSTRUCTED THEM TO PULL AND TIE OFF THE GALLEY CB IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, ISOLATING THE GALLEY FROM ALL ELECTRICITY. I DID NOT WRITE THE INCIDENT IN THE LOGBOOK. THERE IS NO MEL RELIEF FOR THAT SITUATION. WE CONTINUED TO FLY THAT ACFT AND VERBALLY RELAYED THE INFO TO THE CREW THAT RELIEVED US. THERE IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROB IN OUR COMPANY. ALTHOUGH WE ARE ALPA, WE DO NOT GET PAID IF WE DO NOT FLY. IF THE ACFT IS BROKEN OR THE WX IS BELOW MINIMUMS, WE SIT ON THE GND WHERE WE ARE AND CALCULATE HOW MUCH PAY WE ARE LOSING. THIS SYS PLACES A LARGE BURDEN ON THE INTEGRITY OF OUR CREW MEMBERS. MY DECISION THIS TIME, FROM A COMMON SENSE POINT OF VIEW, WAS CORRECT. LEGALLY, PROBABLY NOT. WILL I BE SAFE ACCEPTING AN ACFT FROM SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAS MADE SUCH A JUDGEMENT?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.