Flight attendant report, DC10-30, ord-hnl, acrid, intermittent electrical burning smell changing to ...

Attributes
ACN	450819
Time
Date	199909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa.artcc
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 10
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 15 flight attendant time total : 15 flight attendant time type : 20
ASRS Report	450819
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : cab#1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During the boarding process, flight attendants and passenger noticed a burning type smell at 3R. Maintenance was called. The captain and another pilot came back to determine source and severity of smell. I was not directly involved at this point, as I was #2 flight attendant and needed to stay in aft portion of aircraft. As I heard it, they decided to go as the smell disappeared. Throughout the next 5 hours of flight, the smell returned intermittently and changed smells. It went from an electrical smell to one of a chemical/acrid nature. We had the 2-4 passenger at the 3R area monitoring the smell. We asked them to ring the call bell until one of us responded and to gauge strength and duration of smell for us. We called cockpit each time. The captain was extremely concerned and then when the smell seemed to be occurring more frequently, and we were 1 hour past sfo, he decided to divert. He relayed information to us and let us know that if an emergency manifested, our options were next to none if over water. So back we went and landed without further incident. Passenger and crew alike complained that the smell had changed form at some point in-flight. They said it hurt their eyes, noses, and some said they developed headaches and slight dizziness. I noticed nothing myself.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, DC10-30, ORD-HNL, ACRID, INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL CHANGING TO CHEMICAL SMELL AT DOOR 3R FOR 5 HRS. DIVERT TO SFO.

Narrative: DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS, FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX NOTICED A BURNING TYPE SMELL AT 3R. MAINT WAS CALLED. THE CAPT AND ANOTHER PLT CAME BACK TO DETERMINE SOURCE AND SEVERITY OF SMELL. I WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED AT THIS POINT, AS I WAS #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND NEEDED TO STAY IN AFT PORTION OF ACFT. AS I HEARD IT, THEY DECIDED TO GO AS THE SMELL DISAPPEARED. THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 5 HRS OF FLT, THE SMELL RETURNED INTERMITTENTLY AND CHANGED SMELLS. IT WENT FROM AN ELECTRICAL SMELL TO ONE OF A CHEMICAL/ACRID NATURE. WE HAD THE 2-4 PAX AT THE 3R AREA MONITORING THE SMELL. WE ASKED THEM TO RING THE CALL BELL UNTIL ONE OF US RESPONDED AND TO GAUGE STRENGTH AND DURATION OF SMELL FOR US. WE CALLED COCKPIT EACH TIME. THE CAPT WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED AND THEN WHEN THE SMELL SEEMED TO BE OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY, AND WE WERE 1 HR PAST SFO, HE DECIDED TO DIVERT. HE RELAYED INFO TO US AND LET US KNOW THAT IF AN EMER MANIFESTED, OUR OPTIONS WERE NEXT TO NONE IF OVER WATER. SO BACK WE WENT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PAX AND CREW ALIKE COMPLAINED THAT THE SMELL HAD CHANGED FORM AT SOME POINT INFLT. THEY SAID IT HURT THEIR EYES, NOSES, AND SOME SAID THEY DEVELOPED HEADACHES AND SLIGHT DIZZINESS. I NOTICED NOTHING MYSELF.

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.

Flight attendant report, DC10-30, ord-hnl, acrid, intermittent electrical burning smell changing to chemical smell at door 3R for 5 hours. Divert to sfo.