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Odor detected by passenger who passed information to cabin who notified cockpit. Unable to determine source. Precautionary landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 203472 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199203 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ind |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 17500 flight time type : 16000 |
| ASRS Report | 203472 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
A distinctive but unidentifiable odor was noticed, first by passenger and, when notified, by cabin crew members who notified the cockpit crew. The fluorescent lighting in cabin was turned off and odor was monitored to see if it got better or worse. After about 10 mins of no change, a high pitched squeal was heard by a cockpit crew member who was commuting in the cabin, and smoke began to appear in cabin. We decided to make a precautionary landing in indianapolis. Declared an emergency and made an uneventful landing. As soon as smoke was detected the gasper fan and all cabin lighting was turned off and the circuit breakers pulled. By the time we landed the cabin was clear of smoke and the problem appeared to be over. Later investigation pointed toward the gasper fan bearing seizing up.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ODOR DETECTED BY PAX WHO PASSED INFO TO CABIN WHO NOTIFIED COCKPIT. UNABLE TO DETERMINE SOURCE. PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.
Narrative: A DISTINCTIVE BUT UNIDENTIFIABLE ODOR WAS NOTICED, FIRST BY PAX AND, WHEN NOTIFIED, BY CABIN CREW MEMBERS WHO NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT CREW. THE FLUORESCENT LIGHTING IN CABIN WAS TURNED OFF AND ODOR WAS MONITORED TO SEE IF IT GOT BETTER OR WORSE. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS OF NO CHANGE, A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL WAS HEARD BY A COCKPIT CREW MEMBER WHO WAS COMMUTING IN THE CABIN, AND SMOKE BEGAN TO APPEAR IN CABIN. WE DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN INDIANAPOLIS. DECLARED AN EMER AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AS SOON AS SMOKE WAS DETECTED THE GASPER FAN AND ALL CABIN LIGHTING WAS TURNED OFF AND THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED. BY THE TIME WE LANDED THE CABIN WAS CLR OF SMOKE AND THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE OVER. LATER INVESTIGATION POINTED TOWARD THE GASPER FAN BEARING SEIZING UP.
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.