Narrative:

Climbing through 6000 ft MSL cockpit crew smelled burning odor and confirmed fumes/haze in cabin as well. Captain told flight attendants to prepare for immediate return and landing in approximately 5 mins, no evacuate/evacuation planned for landing. Captain declared emergency and requested immediate return to dca. Captain had copilot go on emergency 100% oxygen and fly aircraft while captain had oxygen at ready, but did not use. Captain wanted to maximize clear communications between dca area controllers, cockpit and cabin. Did not want muffled communications to confuse dca controllers and make them mistake for cockpit conflict/terrorist threat in dca airspace. Since dca/iad were equal distance captain elected return to dca because copilot was more familiar with dca for rapid short field approach. Also, andrews AFB was equal distance on downwind if situation required landing sooner than dca. Copilot exceeded 250 KTS below 10000 ft en route dca. Fumes continued and captain initiated smoke/fume removal procedures until landing imminent, then concentrated on landing checklist. Switched to dca tower and notified tower I would turn immediately into adjacent company gates, other than evacuating on runway. Visibility and air quality still adequate and somebody always gets hurt if slides are used. Time from runway to gate was approximately 20 seconds. Company ramp staff standing by and immediately pulled up forward door jetway and aft airstair to rear door and we expeditiously disembarked all 89 passenger and 6 crew, and shut down aircraft -- no injuries reported. Source of fumes/smoke was found to be battery cell meltdown/battery charger malfunction was initial assessment. Captain used non standard oxygen mask procedures, maximum airspeed, non standard evacuate/evacuation due to his judgement to maximize communication, and minimize the airborne and minimize potential for injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-600 CREW RETURNED TO THEIR DEP STATION WITH SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH 6000 FT MSL COCKPIT CREW SMELLED BURNING ODOR AND CONFIRMED FUMES/HAZE IN CABIN AS WELL. CAPT TOLD FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE RETURN AND LNDG IN APPROX 5 MINS, NO EVAC PLANNED FOR LNDG. CAPT DECLARED EMER AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE RETURN TO DCA. CAPT HAD COPLT GO ON EMER 100% OXYGEN AND FLY ACFT WHILE CAPT HAD OXYGEN AT READY, BUT DID NOT USE. CAPT WANTED TO MAXIMIZE CLR COMS BTWN DCA AREA CTLRS, COCKPIT AND CABIN. DID NOT WANT MUFFLED COMS TO CONFUSE DCA CTLRS AND MAKE THEM MISTAKE FOR COCKPIT CONFLICT/TERRORIST THREAT IN DCA AIRSPACE. SINCE DCA/IAD WERE EQUAL DISTANCE CAPT ELECTED RETURN TO DCA BECAUSE COPLT WAS MORE FAMILIAR WITH DCA FOR RAPID SHORT FIELD APCH. ALSO, ANDREWS AFB WAS EQUAL DISTANCE ON DOWNWIND IF SIT REQUIRED LNDG SOONER THAN DCA. COPLT EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT ENRTE DCA. FUMES CONTINUED AND CAPT INITIATED SMOKE/FUME REMOVAL PROCS UNTIL LNDG IMMINENT, THEN CONCENTRATED ON LNDG CHKLIST. SWITCHED TO DCA TWR AND NOTIFIED TWR I WOULD TURN IMMEDIATELY INTO ADJACENT COMPANY GATES, OTHER THAN EVACUATING ON RWY. VISIBILITY AND AIR QUALITY STILL ADEQUATE AND SOMEBODY ALWAYS GETS HURT IF SLIDES ARE USED. TIME FROM RWY TO GATE WAS APPROX 20 SECONDS. COMPANY RAMP STAFF STANDING BY AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP FORWARD DOOR JETWAY AND AFT AIRSTAIR TO REAR DOOR AND WE EXPEDITIOUSLY DISEMBARKED ALL 89 PAX AND 6 CREW, AND SHUT DOWN ACFT -- NO INJURIES RPTED. SOURCE OF FUMES/SMOKE WAS FOUND TO BE BATTERY CELL MELTDOWN/BATTERY CHARGER MALFUNCTION WAS INITIAL ASSESSMENT. CAPT USED NON STANDARD OXYGEN MASK PROCS, MAX AIRSPD, NON STANDARD EVAC DUE TO HIS JUDGEMENT TO MAXIMIZE COM, AND MINIMIZE THE AIRBORNE AND MINIMIZE POTENTIAL FOR INJURIES.

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.