Smoke cabin and cockpit. Fuel dump return land.

Attributes
ACN	193343
Time
Date	199111
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	193343
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	193421
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Source of unknown smoke thickening in cabin and cockpit on climb out of lax. Dumped fuel to maximum landing gross weight. Landing was uneventful. Mechanics found oil from APU in the air conditioning ducts, APU had shut down earlier (automatically) during pushback and #1 engine start. As result engine start was hung and we followed our flight manual procedure taxi out was hectic. Weights were late etc, so we discussed the APU and elected to write it up en route (since the APU is not used in flight and we often fly with deferred APU's)! Our errors, since hindsight is 20/20 include: not researching why the APU shut down. Example -- APU oil quantity was not looked at. Although as a crew we decided not to contact sam, our maintenance headquarters in san francisco, because arinc is required as a middle man and the time involved can be lengthy. We would and should have taken the time. A possible solution for 'the next time' could be to contact the lax maintenance, however, this is not our current company policy once we've pushed back. Policy may need to be reconsidered or changed because the time required in lax is much less.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMOKE CABIN AND COCKPIT. FUEL DUMP RETURN LAND.

Narrative: SOURCE OF UNKNOWN SMOKE THICKENING IN CABIN AND COCKPIT ON CLB OUT OF LAX. DUMPED FUEL TO MAX LNDG GROSS WT. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. MECHS FOUND OIL FROM APU IN THE AIR CONDITIONING DUCTS, APU HAD SHUT DOWN EARLIER (AUTOMATICALLY) DURING PUSHBACK AND #1 ENG START. AS RESULT ENG START WAS HUNG AND WE FOLLOWED OUR FLT MANUAL PROC TAXI OUT WAS HECTIC. WTS WERE LATE ETC, SO WE DISCUSSED THE APU AND ELECTED TO WRITE IT UP ENRTE (SINCE THE APU IS NOT USED IN FLT AND WE OFTEN FLY WITH DEFERRED APU'S)! OUR ERRORS, SINCE HINDSIGHT IS 20/20 INCLUDE: NOT RESEARCHING WHY THE APU SHUT DOWN. EXAMPLE -- APU OIL QUANTITY WAS NOT LOOKED AT. ALTHOUGH AS A CREW WE DECIDED NOT TO CONTACT SAM, OUR MAINT HEADQUARTERS IN SAN FRANCISCO, BECAUSE ARINC IS REQUIRED AS A MIDDLE MAN AND THE TIME INVOLVED CAN BE LENGTHY. WE WOULD AND SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME. A POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOR 'THE NEXT TIME' COULD BE TO CONTACT THE LAX MAINT, HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT OUR CURRENT COMPANY POLICY ONCE WE'VE PUSHED BACK. POLICY MAY NEED TO BE RECONSIDERED OR CHANGED BECAUSE THE TIME REQUIRED IN LAX IS MUCH LESS.

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.