<< >> NASA ASRS Report 681013, December 2005

A320 flight crew declare emergency and return to departure airport due to electrical fumes in the flight deck and passenger cabins.

Attributes
ACN	681013
Time
Date	200512
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 28000
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 670
ASRS Report	681013
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was PNF. Climbing through FL200; captain and I both smelled a 'burning electrical smell.' we put on oxygen masks and established communications. Captain started qrc and I became PF while captain talked to flight attendants. They concurred with smell and also reported passenger smelled the same. Captain declared emergency with ARTCC and we received vectors to return to ZZZ. No flames or smoke were seen at any time. Uneventful approach and landing by captain. The only abnormal indications in-flight were the mcdu dumped our route of flight at some point soon after takeoff. Also; on descent; the 'captain probes and first officer probes' illuminated in amber on the status page briefly. No other problems noted. No circuit breakers popped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW DECLARE EMER AND RETURN TO DEP ARPT DUE TO ELECTRICAL FUMES IN THE FLT DECK AND PAX CABINS.

Narrative: I WAS PNF. CLBING THROUGH FL200; CAPT AND I BOTH SMELLED A 'BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL.' WE PUT ON OXYGEN MASKS AND ESTABLISHED COMS. CAPT STARTED QRC AND I BECAME PF WHILE CAPT TALKED TO FLT ATTENDANTS. THEY CONCURRED WITH SMELL AND ALSO RPTED PAX SMELLED THE SAME. CAPT DECLARED EMER WITH ARTCC AND WE RECEIVED VECTORS TO RETURN TO ZZZ. NO FLAMES OR SMOKE WERE SEEN AT ANY TIME. UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG BY CAPT. THE ONLY ABNORMAL INDICATIONS INFLT WERE THE MCDU DUMPED OUR RTE OF FLT AT SOME POINT SOON AFTER TKOF. ALSO; ON DSCNT; THE 'CAPT PROBES AND FO PROBES' ILLUMINATED IN AMBER ON THE STATUS PAGE BRIEFLY. NO OTHER PROBS NOTED. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.