B767-300ER captain detected electrical smell, and hot or burning insulation, when he was entering th...

Attributes
ACN	627697
Time
Date	200408
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cyyr.airport
State Reference	NF
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	627697
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

As captain, went on rest break but noticed electrical smell (hot or burning insulation), around mid galley area. (No smoke ever during following situation.) a brief period of this few hours back, isolated (we thought) as movie screen which was turned off and smell dissipated. This time, smell with screen off. Smell isolated around rest seat aft of mid galley. Decided best to turn off total in-flight entertainment system, when center first row tourist reading lights flickered. Proceeded to in-flight entertainment system closet by cockpit door where lead flight attendant said in-flight entertainment system just quit! Turned off total system and returned to cockpit. Reading lights turned off. I returned to left seat as we chatted with company via satcom. Relief officer sent back to assist and verify lights, in-flight entertainment system, etc, off, and he worked with flight attendant stationed mid area familiar with similar problem from another flight. He returned saying smell more, so turn off recirculation fans and gaspers. Told company and ATC we would go to goose bay (yyr) which was then about 700 mi away. (After cyyr, about another 400 mi to civilization.) referenced potential smoke/fire procedures, even though such does not exist. VFR WX and on ground 12 mins. Taxied to park. Some smell reported, so all passenger removed hastily but calmly via external stairs to busses and facilities. Smell dissipated and aircraft turned over to local, then later arrived company maintenance. Thought: even a hint of such electrical odor deserves diversion unless obvious and visibly not an issue. Obvious, but unverified maybe totally unrelated! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicates they were on the ground 20-25 mins after the incident occurred. Transport canada, NTSB, and FAA have investigated. The captain indicates the passenger entertainment system is provided by an after market supplier. Apparently a tv monitor was smoking. The crew ferried the aircraft back to their maintenance base. They had no odor, but they did not activate the passenger entertainment system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300ER CAPT DETECTED ELECTRICAL SMELL, AND HOT OR BURNING INSULATION, WHEN HE WAS ENTERING THE CREW BUNK AREA. THE ODOR WAS STILL PRESENT WHEN THEY LANDED.

Narrative: AS CAPT, WENT ON REST BREAK BUT NOTICED ELECTRICAL SMELL (HOT OR BURNING INSULATION), AROUND MID GALLEY AREA. (NO SMOKE EVER DURING FOLLOWING SIT.) A BRIEF PERIOD OF THIS FEW HRS BACK, ISOLATED (WE THOUGHT) AS MOVIE SCREEN WHICH WAS TURNED OFF AND SMELL DISSIPATED. THIS TIME, SMELL WITH SCREEN OFF. SMELL ISOLATED AROUND REST SEAT AFT OF MID GALLEY. DECIDED BEST TO TURN OFF TOTAL INFLT ENTERTAINMENT SYS, WHEN CENTER FIRST ROW TOURIST READING LIGHTS FLICKERED. PROCEEDED TO INFLT ENTERTAINMENT SYS CLOSET BY COCKPIT DOOR WHERE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT SAID INFLT ENTERTAINMENT SYS JUST QUIT! TURNED OFF TOTAL SYS AND RETURNED TO COCKPIT. READING LIGHTS TURNED OFF. I RETURNED TO L SEAT AS WE CHATTED WITH COMPANY VIA SATCOM. RELIEF OFFICER SENT BACK TO ASSIST AND VERIFY LIGHTS, INFLT ENTERTAINMENT SYS, ETC, OFF, AND HE WORKED WITH FLT ATTENDANT STATIONED MID AREA FAMILIAR WITH SIMILAR PROB FROM ANOTHER FLT. HE RETURNED SAYING SMELL MORE, SO TURN OFF RECIRCULATION FANS AND GASPERS. TOLD COMPANY AND ATC WE WOULD GO TO GOOSE BAY (YYR) WHICH WAS THEN ABOUT 700 MI AWAY. (AFTER CYYR, ABOUT ANOTHER 400 MI TO CIVILIZATION.) REFED POTENTIAL SMOKE/FIRE PROCS, EVEN THOUGH SUCH DOES NOT EXIST. VFR WX AND ON GND 12 MINS. TAXIED TO PARK. SOME SMELL RPTED, SO ALL PAX REMOVED HASTILY BUT CALMLY VIA EXTERNAL STAIRS TO BUSSES AND FACILITIES. SMELL DISSIPATED AND ACFT TURNED OVER TO LCL, THEN LATER ARRIVED COMPANY MAINT. THOUGHT: EVEN A HINT OF SUCH ELECTRICAL ODOR DESERVES DIVERSION UNLESS OBVIOUS AND VISIBLY NOT AN ISSUE. OBVIOUS, BUT UNVERIFIED MAYBE TOTALLY UNRELATED! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATES THEY WERE ON THE GND 20-25 MINS AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. TRANSPORT CANADA, NTSB, AND FAA HAVE INVESTIGATED. THE CAPT INDICATES THE PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS IS PROVIDED BY AN AFTER MARKET SUPPLIER. APPARENTLY A TV MONITOR WAS SMOKING. THE CREW FERRIED THE ACFT BACK TO THEIR MAINT BASE. THEY HAD NO ODOR, BUT THEY DID NOT ACTIVATE THE PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS.

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.

B767-300ER captain detected electrical smell, and hot or burning insulation, when he was entering the crew bunk area. The odor was still present when they landed.