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MD11 on oceanic flight has electrical burning smell and haze in cabin. Captain notifies cabin they are going to divert to bos. Maintenance determines problem is an air conditioning pack which 'burned itself out.'
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 418409 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199810 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bos |
| State Reference | MA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-11 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 418409 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
A loud suction noise near the business class galley -- very strong electrical burning smell with light smoke or haze in cabin. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the noise was more like a squeal and was quite loud. The flight attendants grabbed fire extinguishers and opened overhead bins. The haze seemed to come from the ceiling. Captain told the flight attendants they were diverting to bos. It was determined once on the ground that an air conditioning pack had burned itself out. It was also stated that the noise accompanying the incident had nothing to do with the burned pack. No explanation was given for the noise itself. Passenger were quite scared when the flight attendants took out their smoke hoods and opened them. They did not don them, but had them ready. It was about 45 mins until they were able to land at bos.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD11 ON OCEANIC FLT HAS ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL AND HAZE IN CABIN. CAPT NOTIFIES CABIN THEY ARE GOING TO DIVERT TO BOS. MAINT DETERMINES PROB IS AN AIR CONDITIONING PACK WHICH 'BURNED ITSELF OUT.'
Narrative: A LOUD SUCTION NOISE NEAR THE BUSINESS CLASS GALLEY -- VERY STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WITH LIGHT SMOKE OR HAZE IN CABIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE NOISE WAS MORE LIKE A SQUEAL AND WAS QUITE LOUD. THE FLT ATTENDANTS GRABBED FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND OPENED OVERHEAD BINS. THE HAZE SEEMED TO COME FROM THE CEILING. CAPT TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS THEY WERE DIVERTING TO BOS. IT WAS DETERMINED ONCE ON THE GND THAT AN AIR CONDITIONING PACK HAD BURNED ITSELF OUT. IT WAS ALSO STATED THAT THE NOISE ACCOMPANYING THE INCIDENT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BURNED PACK. NO EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN FOR THE NOISE ITSELF. PAX WERE QUITE SCARED WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOOK OUT THEIR SMOKE HOODS AND OPENED THEM. THEY DID NOT DON THEM, BUT HAD THEM READY. IT WAS ABOUT 45 MINS UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO LAND AT BOS.
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.