Smell of smoke in cabin came from passenger bag in closet. Shorted out computer battery against car ...

Attributes
ACN	199566
Time
Date	199201
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3200
ASRS Report	199566
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 175
ASRS Report	200029
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During taxi out flight attendant reported burning smell in cabin. So immediately turned off galley power and checked air conditioning for abnormalities -- none found. So checked electrical power indications -- all normal. Captain taxied clear of taxiway and stopped aircraft. First officer informed ground control of an unspecified problem. APU was running so electrical load was switched to APU. Flight attendant reported smell spreading in the cabin. Both air conditioning packs were turned off. Captain told first officer to request fire truck. Electrical smell reached cockpit but no visible smoke was observed anywhere in the aircraft. A passenger told flight attendant that the smell was coming from the cabin coat closet. Flight attendant and passenger opened closet and flight attendant yelled toward cockpit that passenger bag was source. Captain called ground control to have fire crew come up aft airstair. 2 running engines were shut down to accommodate fire department entry to aircraft at aft airstairs. Forward flight attendant passed the aft flight attendant to drop airstairs. So was ordered to take fire extinguisher to closet/bag. Passenger/owner had bag out of closet. Smoke was seen by so but bag had combination locks so so brought bag to forward entry door to open bag or throw bag out of the aircraft. Passenger/owner opened bag and pulled out hot computer battery and car keys that had shorted the battery. Various melted insulations were found. So contacted dispatch with an assessment of the situation and our intentions. Fire department personnel and captain removed contents from bag and inspected bag/contents. Hot battery and some cables were removed from the aircraft by fireman. Open forward entry door and aft entry door created strong wind that aired aircraft to passenger comfort and satisfaction. Flight continued from that point on airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMELL OF SMOKE IN CABIN CAME FROM PAX BAG IN CLOSET. SHORTED OUT COMPUTER BATTERY AGAINST CAR KEYS. FIRE DEPT AND SO AND BAG OWNER OPENED BAG AND ELIMINATED SHORT AND SMELL OF WIRE INSULATION SMOLDERING.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT FLT ATTENDANT RPTED BURNING SMELL IN CABIN. SO IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF GALLEY PWR AND CHKED AIR CONDITIONING FOR ABNORMALITIES -- NONE FOUND. SO CHKED ELECTRICAL PWR INDICATIONS -- ALL NORMAL. CAPT TAXIED CLR OF TAXIWAY AND STOPPED ACFT. FO INFORMED GND CTL OF AN UNSPECIFIED PROBLEM. APU WAS RUNNING SO ELECTRICAL LOAD WAS SWITCHED TO APU. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED SMELL SPREADING IN THE CABIN. BOTH AIR CONDITIONING PACKS WERE TURNED OFF. CAPT TOLD FO TO REQUEST FIRE TRUCK. ELECTRICAL SMELL REACHED COCKPIT BUT NO VISIBLE SMOKE WAS OBSERVED ANYWHERE IN THE ACFT. A PAX TOLD FLT ATTENDANT THAT THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE CABIN COAT CLOSET. FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX OPENED CLOSET AND FLT ATTENDANT YELLED TOWARD COCKPIT THAT PAX BAG WAS SOURCE. CAPT CALLED GND CTL TO HAVE FIRE CREW COME UP AFT AIRSTAIR. 2 RUNNING ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN TO ACCOMMODATE FIRE DEPT ENTRY TO ACFT AT AFT AIRSTAIRS. FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT PASSED THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT TO DROP AIRSTAIRS. SO WAS ORDERED TO TAKE FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO CLOSET/BAG. PAX/OWNER HAD BAG OUT OF CLOSET. SMOKE WAS SEEN BY SO BUT BAG HAD COMBINATION LOCKS SO SO BROUGHT BAG TO FORWARD ENTRY DOOR TO OPEN BAG OR THROW BAG OUT OF THE ACFT. PAX/OWNER OPENED BAG AND PULLED OUT HOT COMPUTER BATTERY AND CAR KEYS THAT HAD SHORTED THE BATTERY. VARIOUS MELTED INSULATIONS WERE FOUND. SO CONTACTED DISPATCH WITH AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION AND OUR INTENTIONS. FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL AND CAPT REMOVED CONTENTS FROM BAG AND INSPECTED BAG/CONTENTS. HOT BATTERY AND SOME CABLES WERE REMOVED FROM THE ACFT BY FIREMAN. OPEN FORWARD ENTRY DOOR AND AFT ENTRY DOOR CREATED STRONG WIND THAT AIRED ACFT TO PAX COMFORT AND SATISFACTION. FLT CONTINUED FROM THAT POINT ON ARPT.

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.

Smell of smoke in cabin came from passenger bag in closet. Shorted out computer battery against car keys. Fire department and so and bag owner opened bag and eliminated short and smell of wire insulation smoldering.