<< >> NASA ASRS Report 480949, July 2000

A canadair CL65 in climb at FL180 diverted due to smell of electrical burning odor in cockpit. Cause unknown. Previous report earlier in month.

Attributes
ACN	480949
Time
Date	200007
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl single value : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : other published ifr departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	480949
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : person 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On the climb out from bos, the captain mentioned that he smelled something burning. A couple mins later, I smelled what I thought was an electrical fire. I put my oxygen mask on and talked with ATC while the captain ran the appropriate checklist in the QRH. He talked to the flight attendant who came up to the cockpit and said she also could smell something burning. She went through the cabin and reported back that the fumes were only in the cockpit. The smell seemed to dissipate, but the captain decided, and I agreed, to return to boston and land. The WX had deteriorated and we had a missed approach on the first try and then landed on the second. Maintenance checked out the aircraft and couldn't find the source of the fumes. The aircraft had been written up for the same thing earlier in the month. I don't think it was a pack because you couldn't smell anything in the cabin. I think it had to have been something burning in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 IN CLB AT FL180 DIVERTED DUE TO SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR IN COCKPIT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PREVIOUS RPT EARLIER IN MONTH.

Narrative: ON THE CLBOUT FROM BOS, THE CAPT MENTIONED THAT HE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. A COUPLE MINS LATER, I SMELLED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. I PUT MY OXYGEN MASK ON AND TALKED WITH ATC WHILE THE CAPT RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST IN THE QRH. HE TALKED TO THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND SAID SHE ALSO COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. SHE WENT THROUGH THE CABIN AND RPTED BACK THAT THE FUMES WERE ONLY IN THE COCKPIT. THE SMELL SEEMED TO DISSIPATE, BUT THE CAPT DECIDED, AND I AGREED, TO RETURN TO BOSTON AND LAND. THE WX HAD DETERIORATED AND WE HAD A MISSED APCH ON THE FIRST TRY AND THEN LANDED ON THE SECOND. MAINT CHKED OUT THE ACFT AND COULDN'T FIND THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES. THE ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP FOR THE SAME THING EARLIER IN THE MONTH. I DON'T THINK IT WAS A PACK BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T SMELL ANYTHING IN THE CABIN. I THINK IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN SOMETHING BURNING IN THE COCKPIT.

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.