Narrative:

Copilot flying. He had started the intermediate descent into ord and he had briefed approach runway 14R visual and I was setting up for it. I tried to set VOR for missed approach, but when I looked up at the VOR window, it was blank. There were no sounds, smell, EICAS messages at that point that there was a problem. Looked at first officer's VOR and asked if working ok, and he responded yes. I looked around cockpit and noticed VOR circuit breaker had been popped. I looked at nomenclature on circuit breaker and it said VOR/marker beacon. I asked first officer if he concurred with resetting circuit breaker due to not having any indications of there being a problem and nothing in log history. Because I feel VOR is important for arrival, we agreed to reset circuit breaker. Once I reset the circuit breaker, the VOR indication in the window illuminated and the marker beacons flashed that they were on line and the circuit breaker stayed set. I saw or felt or heard nothing -- just a smell like something was getting warmer than it should be. I confirmed with first officer if he smelt it, which he did. I pulled the circuit breaker, that we set, back out assuming that is what caused the smell and asked purser to come on flight deck to see if she could smell as well, and she did. We then ACARS'ed dispatch maintenance controller and told situation and asked for guidance. Never responded and dispatch queried if we were going to divert to ind. I told dispatch that we would monitor and continue to ord. We continued to ord and monitored the situation. We ended up landing in ord without incident. We taxied to the gate, shut down, and I debriefed maintenance face-to-face in the cockpit. We made a logbook entry. We followed up the next day to see how things went with the aircraft and found that after a couple hour delay, the plane continued on schedule. The procedural index in the flight manual is sufficient, but I think that it needs to be emphasized more in ground school and training. Aircraft experience in other aircraft plays a factor. When I flew all 3 seats in the B727 you do get one reset. I think the fom/flight manual should emphasize that circuit breaker reset should only be a coordinated effort between crews and maintenance. Flight manual guidance at this point is that circuit breaker only be reset when the captain deems it necessary. In this case, I feel that the VOR is a necessary piece of equipment to execute a possible go around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW RESET A CIRCUIT BREAKER IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH COMPANY POLICY THAT PROHIBITS CIRCUIT BREAKER RESET.

Narrative: COPLT FLYING. HE HAD STARTED THE INTERMEDIATE DSCNT INTO ORD AND HE HAD BRIEFED APCH RWY 14R VISUAL AND I WAS SETTING UP FOR IT. I TRIED TO SET VOR FOR MISSED APCH, BUT WHEN I LOOKED UP AT THE VOR WINDOW, IT WAS BLANK. THERE WERE NO SOUNDS, SMELL, EICAS MESSAGES AT THAT POINT THAT THERE WAS A PROB. LOOKED AT FO'S VOR AND ASKED IF WORKING OK, AND HE RESPONDED YES. I LOOKED AROUND COCKPIT AND NOTICED VOR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BEEN POPPED. I LOOKED AT NOMENCLATURE ON CIRCUIT BREAKER AND IT SAID VOR/MARKER BEACON. I ASKED FO IF HE CONCURRED WITH RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKER DUE TO NOT HAVING ANY INDICATIONS OF THERE BEING A PROB AND NOTHING IN LOG HISTORY. BECAUSE I FEEL VOR IS IMPORTANT FOR ARR, WE AGREED TO RESET CIRCUIT BREAKER. ONCE I RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, THE VOR INDICATION IN THE WINDOW ILLUMINATED AND THE MARKER BEACONS FLASHED THAT THEY WERE ON LINE AND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER STAYED SET. I SAW OR FELT OR HEARD NOTHING -- JUST A SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS GETTING WARMER THAN IT SHOULD BE. I CONFIRMED WITH FO IF HE SMELT IT, WHICH HE DID. I PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, THAT WE SET, BACK OUT ASSUMING THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE SMELL AND ASKED PURSER TO COME ON FLT DECK TO SEE IF SHE COULD SMELL AS WELL, AND SHE DID. WE THEN ACARS'ED DISPATCH MAINT CTLR AND TOLD SIT AND ASKED FOR GUIDANCE. NEVER RESPONDED AND DISPATCH QUERIED IF WE WERE GOING TO DIVERT TO IND. I TOLD DISPATCH THAT WE WOULD MONITOR AND CONTINUE TO ORD. WE CONTINUED TO ORD AND MONITORED THE SIT. WE ENDED UP LNDG IN ORD WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE, SHUT DOWN, AND I DEBRIEFED MAINT FACE-TO-FACE IN THE COCKPIT. WE MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY. WE FOLLOWED UP THE NEXT DAY TO SEE HOW THINGS WENT WITH THE ACFT AND FOUND THAT AFTER A COUPLE HR DELAY, THE PLANE CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE. THE PROCEDURAL INDEX IN THE FLT MANUAL IS SUFFICIENT, BUT I THINK THAT IT NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED MORE IN GND SCHOOL AND TRAINING. ACFT EXPERIENCE IN OTHER ACFT PLAYS A FACTOR. WHEN I FLEW ALL 3 SEATS IN THE B727 YOU DO GET ONE RESET. I THINK THE FOM/FLT MANUAL SHOULD EMPHASIZE THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER RESET SHOULD ONLY BE A COORDINATED EFFORT BTWN CREWS AND MAINT. FLT MANUAL GUIDANCE AT THIS POINT IS THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER ONLY BE RESET WHEN THE CAPT DEEMS IT NECESSARY. IN THIS CASE, I FEEL THAT THE VOR IS A NECESSARY PIECE OF EQUIP TO EXECUTE A POSSIBLE GAR.

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.