 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A DC10-40 flight performs a priority return to the gate when the flight crew is alerted to smoke and electrical odors with the aircraft at sfo, ca.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 459706 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-10 40 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11700 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 459706 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : smoke alarm lav other flight crewa other other : 5 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft Company Cabin Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On taxi out from gate at sfo, the forward lavatory fire alarm sounded. While so was investigating, the first officer smelled an electrical smell. Fire and rescue was called out as we did a priority return to the gate. Prior to our gate arrival, our emergency bus off light illuminated. Smoke and fumes were apparent also in the air conditioning for the cabin. There was a slight delay deplaning our passenger through door 2L (using the jetway) due to a hesitation by the flight attendants of both disarming the door and not realizing that our electrical had failed rendering the normal electrical means of opening the door inoperative. The so quickly opened door 2L using the pneumatic backup. The cabin crew (all flight attendants) and the so went to the airport clinic for evaluation of smoke and fume inhalation, etc. Both the captain and first officer chose not to. They were using oxygen masks during the emergency procedures. No passenger injuries were reported nor expected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the aircraft was taken to the maintenance hangar for a complete review of the problem. The related situation could not be reproduced. However, numerous mechanical problems were found to exit. The logbook did not reveal any notable corrections to the original problem area but did note a 4 inch crack in the bleed valve on one engine and oil in #2 engine ducting. First officer feels that the issue was in the lower east&east compartment. During the event the first class cabin attendant came to the cockpit and saw visible smoke or haze which the crew had not seen. Their masks were already on at this point. 9 days later a ferry crew had the same smell of electrical odors in the aircraft during their flight to the maintenance overhaul airport. This event was reviewed within the company with the union safety representatives and the FAA there for the hearing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC10-40 FLT PERFORMS A PRIORITY RETURN TO THE GATE WHEN THE FLC IS ALERTED TO SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL ODORS WITH THE ACFT AT SFO, CA.
Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FROM GATE AT SFO, THE FORWARD LAVATORY FIRE ALARM SOUNDED. WHILE SO WAS INVESTIGATING, THE FO SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. FIRE AND RESCUE WAS CALLED OUT AS WE DID A PRIORITY RETURN TO THE GATE. PRIOR TO OUR GATE ARR, OUR EMER BUS OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SMOKE AND FUMES WERE APPARENT ALSO IN THE AIR CONDITIONING FOR THE CABIN. THERE WAS A SLIGHT DELAY DEPLANING OUR PAX THROUGH DOOR 2L (USING THE JETWAY) DUE TO A HESITATION BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF BOTH DISARMING THE DOOR AND NOT REALIZING THAT OUR ELECTRICAL HAD FAILED RENDERING THE NORMAL ELECTRICAL MEANS OF OPENING THE DOOR INOP. THE SO QUICKLY OPENED DOOR 2L USING THE PNEUMATIC BACKUP. THE CABIN CREW (ALL FLT ATTENDANTS) AND THE SO WENT TO THE ARPT CLINIC FOR EVALUATION OF SMOKE AND FUME INHALATION, ETC. BOTH THE CAPT AND FO CHOSE NOT TO. THEY WERE USING OXYGEN MASKS DURING THE EMER PROCS. NO PAX INJURIES WERE RPTED NOR EXPECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS TAKEN TO THE MAINT HANGAR FOR A COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE PROB. THE RELATED SIT COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. HOWEVER, NUMEROUS MECHANICAL PROBS WERE FOUND TO EXIT. THE LOGBOOK DID NOT REVEAL ANY NOTABLE CORRECTIONS TO THE ORIGINAL PROB AREA BUT DID NOTE A 4 INCH CRACK IN THE BLEED VALVE ON ONE ENG AND OIL IN #2 ENG DUCTING. FO FEELS THAT THE ISSUE WAS IN THE LOWER E&E COMPARTMENT. DURING THE EVENT THE FIRST CLASS CABIN ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND SAW VISIBLE SMOKE OR HAZE WHICH THE CREW HAD NOT SEEN. THEIR MASKS WERE ALREADY ON AT THIS POINT. 9 DAYS LATER A FERRY CREW HAD THE SAME SMELL OF ELECTRICAL ODORS IN THE ACFT DURING THEIR FLT TO THE MAINT OVERHAUL ARPT. THIS EVENT WAS REVIEWED WITHIN THE COMPANY WITH THE UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES AND THE FAA THERE FOR THE HEARING.
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.