MD80 has smoke in cabin. Expedites approach to ord.

Attributes
ACN	464078
Time
Date	200002
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : bradford 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	464078
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 3 other other : 4
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On descent to landing into chicago O'hare following uneventful all-nighter from west coast the crew was given a descent to 11000 ft direct to newark intersection on bradford 4 arrival. Passing 28000 ft the captain was advised from the #4 flight attendant that she smelled smoke in the aft cabin with no visible indications of fire. The #1 flight attendant confirmed the report first hand to the cockpit and felt the source was in the proximity of door 1L. With the cockpit door open the captain and first officer noticed a pungent smoke odor as well. The crew ran the emergency checklist for cabin/smoke of unknown source and declared an emergency requesting priority handling for landing runway 9R and authority/authorized discretionary speed. Smoke odor subsided on final approach with an uneventful landing and taxi to the gate. Crash fire rescue equipment equipment was standing by on rollout from landing and escorted the aircraft to the gate with no visible outside abnormalities or sign of fire or smoke. The time from initial contact with flight attendant to landing was approximately 10 mins. Once the smoke/odor cleared there was no reoccurrence of the same. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that the smoke was determined to be oil or hydraulic fluid in the air conditioning system from an unknown source. Original concern was that it might be electrical smoke but running the smoke of unknown origin ruled out that. Crew found the procedure difficult to run with the 2 man crew. Diversion was considered but ruled out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 HAS SMOKE IN CABIN. EXPEDITES APCH TO ORD.

Narrative: ON DSCNT TO LNDG INTO CHICAGO O'HARE FOLLOWING UNEVENTFUL ALL-NIGHTER FROM W COAST THE CREW WAS GIVEN A DSCNT TO 11000 FT DIRECT TO NEWARK INTXN ON BRADFORD 4 ARR. PASSING 28000 FT THE CAPT WAS ADVISED FROM THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT THAT SHE SMELLED SMOKE IN THE AFT CABIN WITH NO VISIBLE INDICATIONS OF FIRE. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CONFIRMED THE RPT FIRST HAND TO THE COCKPIT AND FELT THE SOURCE WAS IN THE PROX OF DOOR 1L. WITH THE COCKPIT DOOR OPEN THE CAPT AND FO NOTICED A PUNGENT SMOKE ODOR AS WELL. THE CREW RAN THE EMER CHKLIST FOR CABIN/SMOKE OF UNKNOWN SOURCE AND DECLARED AN EMER REQUESTING PRIORITY HANDLING FOR LNDG RWY 9R AND AUTH DISCRETIONARY SPD. SMOKE ODOR SUBSIDED ON FINAL APCH WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXI TO THE GATE. CFR EQUIP WAS STANDING BY ON ROLLOUT FROM LNDG AND ESCORTED THE ACFT TO THE GATE WITH NO VISIBLE OUTSIDE ABNORMALITIES OR SIGN OF FIRE OR SMOKE. THE TIME FROM INITIAL CONTACT WITH FLT ATTENDANT TO LNDG WAS APPROX 10 MINS. ONCE THE SMOKE/ODOR CLRED THERE WAS NO REOCCURRENCE OF THE SAME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE SMOKE WAS DETERMINED TO BE OIL OR HYD FLUID IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE. ORIGINAL CONCERN WAS THAT IT MIGHT BE ELECTRICAL SMOKE BUT RUNNING THE SMOKE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN RULED OUT THAT. CREW FOUND THE PROC DIFFICULT TO RUN WITH THE 2 MAN CREW. DIVERSION WAS CONSIDERED BUT RULED OUT.

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.