Narrative:

On regularly scheduled flight, upon reaching cruise of FL410, the following occurred in quick succession: 1) acrid smell, 2) visible haze, 3) actual smoke entering the cockpit through the ventilation ports, 4) flight attendants calling. (All within 1 min after leveling at cruise.) the PNF/first officer (after we both donned oxygen masks) at my direction declared an emergency and got clearance for a lower altitude. Though slightly closer to dtw, we elected to head for cle as we could see it was open and from FL410 both dtw and cle were equally close in point of time. First officer initiated the smoke checklist (both pneumatic and electrics because the source was uncertain) and the smoke dissipated rapidly. I made a call to the flight attendants and 2 PA announcements to the passenger. The company was notified by datalink. Approach and landing uneventful. We deplaned the passenger on expedited basis at gate. Comments: procedures and checklists worked well, but we did not don goggles (and ended up not needing them). The thing about goggles is they must be donned first -- before the mask! But procedure/training and habit all result in donning the mask first. Then, if the goggles are required, the mask has to be removed. 'Smoke procedure' should call for goggles first without analysis for need.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW HAS SMOKE IN ACFT. SUGGESTS CHANGE TO EMER PROC AFTER HANDLING THEIR PROB AND LNDG ENRTE.

Narrative: ON REGULARLY SCHEDULED FLT, UPON REACHING CRUISE OF FL410, THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED IN QUICK SUCCESSION: 1) ACRID SMELL, 2) VISIBLE HAZE, 3) ACTUAL SMOKE ENTERING THE COCKPIT THROUGH THE VENTILATION PORTS, 4) FLT ATTENDANTS CALLING. (ALL WITHIN 1 MIN AFTER LEVELING AT CRUISE.) THE PNF/FO (AFTER WE BOTH DONNED OXYGEN MASKS) AT MY DIRECTION DECLARED AN EMER AND GOT CLRNC FOR A LOWER ALT. THOUGH SLIGHTLY CLOSER TO DTW, WE ELECTED TO HEAD FOR CLE AS WE COULD SEE IT WAS OPEN AND FROM FL410 BOTH DTW AND CLE WERE EQUALLY CLOSE IN POINT OF TIME. FO INITIATED THE SMOKE CHKLIST (BOTH PNEUMATIC AND ELECTRICS BECAUSE THE SOURCE WAS UNCERTAIN) AND THE SMOKE DISSIPATED RAPIDLY. I MADE A CALL TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND 2 PA ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE PAX. THE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED BY DATALINK. APCH AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL. WE DEPLANED THE PAX ON EXPEDITED BASIS AT GATE. COMMENTS: PROCS AND CHKLISTS WORKED WELL, BUT WE DID NOT DON GOGGLES (AND ENDED UP NOT NEEDING THEM). THE THING ABOUT GOGGLES IS THEY MUST BE DONNED FIRST -- BEFORE THE MASK! BUT PROC/TRAINING AND HABIT ALL RESULT IN DONNING THE MASK FIRST. THEN, IF THE GOGGLES ARE REQUIRED, THE MASK HAS TO BE REMOVED. 'SMOKE PROC' SHOULD CALL FOR GOGGLES FIRST WITHOUT ANALYSIS FOR NEED.

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.