Narrative:

En route from atl to tpa, approximately 70 NM north of tlh at FL290, smoke began coming from under first officer forward panel, crew donned oxygen masks, declared emergency and started diverting to tlh. Executed smoke source identify checklist to the extent that time permitted, and accomplished approach checklist and before landing checklist prior to landing. After landing, performed land evacuate/evacuation checklist and exited aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the cause of the smoke was a fluorescent light ballast that was located under the flight station floor below the center aisle stand on the first officer's side. In this event a circuit breaker opened and the electrical power was interrupted and the smoke dissipated while they were on final approach to an alternate airport. The reporter alleged that a similar event happened several weeks later to the same aircraft. However, this time the circuit breaker did not open and the ballast caught fire while the aircraft was still airborne. Again the flight crew turned off of the runway, shut down the aircraft, and evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft. Once the electrical power was interrupted during the shutdown procedure the fire went out. The reporter also alleged that another of his company's B727- 100's had a similar fluorescent light ballast overheat and that crew diverted into the same alternate airport. The similarity was, other than the same flight number, the same airport used as a diversion and the same ballast failing -- that all of the flcs had turned the light override selector to 'all white' as the sun was coming up. This selection turns all the fluorescent lights and white control stand lights come on with full intensity. This may be overloading these old ballasts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FREIGHTER FLC HAS ELECTRICAL SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND THEY DIVERT AND LAND AND EVAC THE ACFT.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM ATL TO TPA, APPROX 70 NM N OF TLH AT FL290, SMOKE BEGAN COMING FROM UNDER FO FORWARD PANEL, CREW DONNED OXYGEN MASKS, DECLARED EMER AND STARTED DIVERTING TO TLH. EXECUTED SMOKE SOURCE IDENT CHKLIST TO THE EXTENT THAT TIME PERMITTED, AND ACCOMPLISHED APCH CHKLIST AND BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST PRIOR TO LNDG. AFTER LNDG, PERFORMED LAND EVAC CHKLIST AND EXITED ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE WAS A FLUORESCENT LIGHT BALLAST THAT WAS LOCATED UNDER THE FLT STATION FLOOR BELOW THE CTR AISLE STAND ON THE FO'S SIDE. IN THIS EVENT A CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENED AND THE ELECTRICAL PWR WAS INTERRUPTED AND THE SMOKE DISSIPATED WHILE THEY WERE ON FINAL APCH TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT. THE RPTR ALLEGED THAT A SIMILAR EVENT HAPPENED SEVERAL WKS LATER TO THE SAME ACFT. HOWEVER, THIS TIME THE CIRCUIT BREAKER DID NOT OPEN AND THE BALLAST CAUGHT FIRE WHILE THE ACFT WAS STILL AIRBORNE. AGAIN THE FLC TURNED OFF OF THE RWY, SHUT DOWN THE ACFT, AND EVACED THE ACFT. ONCE THE ELECTRICAL PWR WAS INTERRUPTED DURING THE SHUTDOWN PROC THE FIRE WENT OUT. THE RPTR ALSO ALLEGED THAT ANOTHER OF HIS COMPANY'S B727- 100'S HAD A SIMILAR FLUORESCENT LIGHT BALLAST OVERHEAT AND THAT CREW DIVERTED INTO THE SAME ALTERNATE ARPT. THE SIMILARITY WAS, OTHER THAN THE SAME FLT NUMBER, THE SAME ARPT USED AS A DIVERSION AND THE SAME BALLAST FAILING -- THAT ALL OF THE FLCS HAD TURNED THE LIGHT OVERRIDE SELECTOR TO 'ALL WHITE' AS THE SUN WAS COMING UP. THIS SELECTION TURNS ALL THE FLUORESCENT LIGHTS AND WHITE CTL STAND LIGHTS COME ON WITH FULL INTENSITY. THIS MAY BE OVERLOADING THESE OLD BALLASTS.

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.