Medium large transport flight crew returns to land when pungent fumes fill cockpit and cabin.

Attributes
ACN	139040
Time
Date	199003
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mci tower : mci tower : alb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 2610 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	139040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 23200 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	138942
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Pungent fumes filled the cockpit and cabin, setting off lav smoke alarms (3). No visible smoke. An emergency was declared and we received landing priority. Smell dissipated after landing and landing was uneventful. Mci approach and tower did excellent work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that there was no smoke although alarms went off, just acrid odors. Turned air conditioning off as they touched down and smell dissipated. Suspected oil leak into air conditioning ducts or perhaps one of pacs overheated. Maintenance checked and pacs replaced. No evacuate/evacuation necessary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT CREW RETURNS TO LAND WHEN PUNGENT FUMES FILL COCKPIT AND CABIN.

Narrative: PUNGENT FUMES FILLED THE COCKPIT AND CABIN, SETTING OFF LAV SMOKE ALARMS (3). NO VISIBLE SMOKE. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE RECEIVED LNDG PRIORITY. SMELL DISSIPATED AFTER LNDG AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. MCI APCH AND TWR DID EXCELLENT WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE ALTHOUGH ALARMS WENT OFF, JUST ACRID ODORS. TURNED AIR CONDITIONING OFF AS THEY TOUCHED DOWN AND SMELL DISSIPATED. SUSPECTED OIL LEAK INTO AIR CONDITIONING DUCTS OR PERHAPS ONE OF PACS OVERHEATED. MAINT CHKED AND PACS REPLACED. NO EVAC NECESSARY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.