<< >> NASA ASRS Report 612482, March 2004

On departure climb from stl, cabin attendant on B757 reports to cockpit a strong electrical smell resulting in a return to land. Probable cause attributed to an overheating coffee-maker.

Attributes
ACN	612482
Time
Date	200403
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : t75.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	612482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3, fa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff from stl on initial climb, flight attendant called up front to inform captain of strong electrical smell in cabin between first class and coach. They also reported that #3 and #5 monitors did not work airborne. After the second call, the captain decided to return to stl and land immediately. First officer was initially flying, but after declaring the emergency, the captain took over flying responsibilities and first officer ran the checklist. This was the most appropriate action to get the aircraft back to the airport and complete the landing checklist. The crash fire rescue equipment trucks were requested. After a normal landing and rollout, the aircraft was stopped on the runway and an initial visual inspection was given by the crash fire rescue equipment. Once cleared, the aircraft was taxied back to the gate without incident. Passenger were deplaned in a normal manner and maintenance inspected the aircraft. Probable cause was an overheating coffee-maker in the mid galley.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON DEP CLB FROM STL, CABIN ATTENDANT ON B757 RPTS TO COCKPIT A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL RESULTING IN A RETURN TO LAND. PROBABLE CAUSE ATTRIBUTED TO AN OVERHEATING COFFEE-MAKER.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM STL ON INITIAL CLB, FLT ATTENDANT CALLED UP FRONT TO INFORM CAPT OF STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL IN CABIN BTWN FIRST CLASS AND COACH. THEY ALSO RPTED THAT #3 AND #5 MONITORS DID NOT WORK AIRBORNE. AFTER THE SECOND CALL, THE CAPT DECIDED TO RETURN TO STL AND LAND IMMEDIATELY. FO WAS INITIALLY FLYING, BUT AFTER DECLARING THE EMER, THE CAPT TOOK OVER FLYING RESPONSIBILITIES AND FO RAN THE CHKLIST. THIS WAS THE MOST APPROPRIATE ACTION TO GET THE ACFT BACK TO THE ARPT AND COMPLETE THE LNDG CHKLIST. THE CFR TRUCKS WERE REQUESTED. AFTER A NORMAL LNDG AND ROLLOUT, THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ON THE RWY AND AN INITIAL VISUAL INSPECTION WAS GIVEN BY THE CFR. ONCE CLRED, THE ACFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. PAX WERE DEPLANED IN A NORMAL MANNER AND MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT. PROBABLE CAUSE WAS AN OVERHEATING COFFEE-MAKER IN THE MID GALLEY.

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.