Narrative:

On a flight from minneapolis to international falls, mn, we were at our cruising altitude of 16000 ft when we noticed a smell like burning electrical wire. As the captain and I were discussing the situation, the flight attendant called to inform us she could smell something burning. We then called ZMP and requested locations for the nearest airport. We were informed of grand rapids, 10 mi south. We decided against it, as they no longer had air carrier service and may not have crash fire rescue equipment available. We asked about the distance to hibbing. Center informed us we were 30 mi west. We asked for immediate vectors and a descent to hibbing. The captain xferred controls to me while he tried to call our dispatch. Dispatch did not respond. We completed a quick reference and descent checklists. As we approached hibbing, I asked for vectors for the ILS to runway 31 at hibbing and we completed a normal approach and landing. We quickly deplaned the aircraft and all passenger were asked to remain near the terminal door. Hibbing terminal was closed at the time and a maintenance person came over to let us in. At no point did we visually see any smoke, however, the flight attendant informed us that the smell made her nauseous, so we both donned oxygen masks during our descent. As we approached the field, the flight attendant informed us that the smell was dissipating. Maintenance inspected the plane that night and verified that the lighting system for one of the overhead panels had shorted out, and corrective action was taken. Supplemental information from acn 638675: they deferred the panel and my crew flew the aircraft back to msp the next morning without incident. Passenger oxygen was also deferred because the first officer and I donned our oxygen masks during the incident and had depleted the oxygen supply.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF SF34 EXPERIENCE ELECTRICAL SMOKE IN ZMP AIRSPACE, DIVERT TO HIB FOR EMER LNDG.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN, WE WERE AT OUR CRUISING ALT OF 16000 FT WHEN WE NOTICED A SMELL LIKE BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRE. AS THE CAPT AND I WERE DISCUSSING THE SIT, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO INFORM US SHE COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. WE THEN CALLED ZMP AND REQUESTED LOCATIONS FOR THE NEAREST ARPT. WE WERE INFORMED OF GRAND RAPIDS, 10 MI S. WE DECIDED AGAINST IT, AS THEY NO LONGER HAD ACR SVC AND MAY NOT HAVE CFR AVAILABLE. WE ASKED ABOUT THE DISTANCE TO HIBBING. CTR INFORMED US WE WERE 30 MI W. WE ASKED FOR IMMEDIATE VECTORS AND A DSCNT TO HIBBING. THE CAPT XFERRED CTLS TO ME WHILE HE TRIED TO CALL OUR DISPATCH. DISPATCH DID NOT RESPOND. WE COMPLETED A QUICK REF AND DSCNT CHKLISTS. AS WE APCHED HIBBING, I ASKED FOR VECTORS FOR THE ILS TO RWY 31 AT HIBBING AND WE COMPLETED A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. WE QUICKLY DEPLANED THE ACFT AND ALL PAX WERE ASKED TO REMAIN NEAR THE TERMINAL DOOR. HIBBING TERMINAL WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME AND A MAINT PERSON CAME OVER TO LET US IN. AT NO POINT DID WE VISUALLY SEE ANY SMOKE, HOWEVER, THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT THE SMELL MADE HER NAUSEOUS, SO WE BOTH DONNED OXYGEN MASKS DURING OUR DSCNT. AS WE APCHED THE FIELD, THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT THE SMELL WAS DISSIPATING. MAINT INSPECTED THE PLANE THAT NIGHT AND VERIFIED THAT THE LIGHTING SYS FOR ONE OF THE OVERHEAD PANELS HAD SHORTED OUT, AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 638675: THEY DEFERRED THE PANEL AND MY CREW FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO MSP THE NEXT MORNING WITHOUT INCIDENT. PAX OXYGEN WAS ALSO DEFERRED BECAUSE THE FO AND I DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS DURING THE INCIDENT AND HAD DEPLETED THE OXYGEN SUPPLY.

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.