Narrative:

Pushback from mci at XA26Z after 3 hour delay awaiting HSI replacement. Aircraft was deiced uneventfully. During taxi out, pilot's interphone was intermittent. AMP1 was selected and operations appeared normal. First officer accomplished uneventful takeoff from runway 1L. During climb out, I had difficulty again using captain ILS/transmitter. I took control and gave radios to first officer while further troubleshooting. Passing FL220 at 50 mi south of mci at XB00Z, first officer reported smoke emanating behind captain's instrument panel. We immediately donned oxygen masks then received clearance to return to mci. Smoke was light and appeared to dissipate after several mins. However, all annunciator/caution lights on forward and overhead panels were fully illuminated bright. Engine and flight instruments operated normally. We reviewed smoke and fume procedures and initiated ILS runway 1L at mci. Selecting dim appeared to mitigate most erroneous annunciator indications. I accomplished uneventful landing. Taxied clear at XB00Z. Had fire department follow us to gate as a precautionary measure. Aircraft was turned over to maintenance. Follow-up revealed water had leaked through pilot's forward windshield accumulating behind pilot's instrument panel, causing short in captain's altitude alert light module.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-200 RETURNED TO LAND AFTER OBSERVING SMOKE COMING FROM THE CAPT'S INST PANEL AND MOST OF THE ANNUNCIATOR CAUTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. EMER RESCUE VEHICLES FOLLOWED ACFT TO GATE.

Narrative: PUSHBACK FROM MCI AT XA26Z AFTER 3 HR DELAY AWAITING HSI REPLACEMENT. ACFT WAS DEICED UNEVENTFULLY. DURING TAXI OUT, PLT'S INTERPHONE WAS INTERMITTENT. AMP1 WAS SELECTED AND OPS APPEARED NORMAL. FO ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFUL TKOF FROM RWY 1L. DURING CLBOUT, I HAD DIFFICULTY AGAIN USING CAPT ILS/XMITTER. I TOOK CTL AND GAVE RADIOS TO FO WHILE FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING. PASSING FL220 AT 50 MI S OF MCI AT XB00Z, FO RPTED SMOKE EMANATING BEHIND CAPT'S INST PANEL. WE IMMEDIATELY DONNED OXYGEN MASKS THEN RECEIVED CLRNC TO RETURN TO MCI. SMOKE WAS LIGHT AND APPEARED TO DISSIPATE AFTER SEVERAL MINS. HOWEVER, ALL ANNUNCIATOR/CAUTION LIGHTS ON FORWARD AND OVERHEAD PANELS WERE FULLY ILLUMINATED BRIGHT. ENG AND FLT INSTS OPERATED NORMALLY. WE REVIEWED SMOKE AND FUME PROCS AND INITIATED ILS RWY 1L AT MCI. SELECTING DIM APPEARED TO MITIGATE MOST ERRONEOUS ANNUNCIATOR INDICATIONS. I ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFUL LNDG. TAXIED CLR AT XB00Z. HAD FIRE DEPT FOLLOW US TO GATE AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. ACFT WAS TURNED OVER TO MAINT. FOLLOW-UP REVEALED WATER HAD LEAKED THROUGH PLT'S FORWARD WINDSHIELD ACCUMULATING BEHIND PLT'S INST PANEL, CAUSING SHORT IN CAPT'S ALT ALERT LIGHT MODULE.

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.