Widebody transport declares emergency and return land due to smoke alarm and odor in cockpit.

Attributes
ACN	106343
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	106343
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6410 flight time type : 420
ASRS Report	106482
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Late in takeoff roll a pronounced acrid smell filled cockpit. At 400' AGL, ECAM warning sounded minimum equipment bay smoke. After about 5 seconds, ECAM warning disappeared, but smell remained strong. Emergency was declared with ord tower and immediate return for landing requested. Landing was made 7 mins after takeoff, about 26000# overweight. Smell had mostly dissipated by the time we landed. It appears likely that the smell and smoke warning were caused by oil being ingested into the air cycle machines from defective external air carts used for engine start. The oil fumes became heavy as engine power was increased for takeoff and the air cycle machines went to maximum cooling. No indication of electrical fire was found, although the avionics compartment retained the smell when inspected after return to gate. Supplemental information from acn 106482: 1 1/2 hours before departure west supplemental pneumatic air carts were supplying arrival to the air condition packs. These diesel run machines may have thrown exhaust and oil into the packs inlet with their position and current winds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB DECLARES EMERGENCY AND RETURN LAND DUE TO SMOKE ALARM AND ODOR IN COCKPIT.

Narrative: LATE IN TKOF ROLL A PRONOUNCED ACRID SMELL FILLED COCKPIT. AT 400' AGL, ECAM WARNING SOUNDED MINIMUM EQUIP BAY SMOKE. AFTER ABOUT 5 SECS, ECAM WARNING DISAPPEARED, BUT SMELL REMAINED STRONG. EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ORD TWR AND IMMEDIATE RETURN FOR LNDG REQUESTED. LNDG WAS MADE 7 MINS AFTER TKOF, ABOUT 26000# OVERWEIGHT. SMELL HAD MOSTLY DISSIPATED BY THE TIME WE LANDED. IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT THE SMELL AND SMOKE WARNING WERE CAUSED BY OIL BEING INGESTED INTO THE AIR CYCLE MACHINES FROM DEFECTIVE EXTERNAL AIR CARTS USED FOR ENG START. THE OIL FUMES BECAME HEAVY AS ENG PWR WAS INCREASED FOR TKOF AND THE AIR CYCLE MACHINES WENT TO MAX COOLING. NO INDICATION OF ELECTRICAL FIRE WAS FOUND, ALTHOUGH THE AVIONICS COMPARTMENT RETAINED THE SMELL WHEN INSPECTED AFTER RETURN TO GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 106482: 1 1/2 HRS BEFORE DEP W SUPPLEMENTAL PNEUMATIC AIR CARTS WERE SUPPLYING ARR TO THE AIR CONDITION PACKS. THESE DIESEL RUN MACHINES MAY HAVE THROWN EXHAUST AND OIL INTO THE PACKS INLET WITH THEIR POS AND CURRENT WINDS.

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.