Narrative:

Approximately 10 mi north of the airport; began to smell smoke in the cockpit. At first thought it was either volcano or brush fire in the area. Wind was calm. Smell did not get stronger but stayed consistent. On base final we passed over the power plant and saw the smokestack pouring out smoke. Normal landing and taxi off the runway when the smoke smell in the cockpit got stronger. Asked tower if there were any fires in the area or if they smelled smoke. They said 'no.' called the airport crash fire rescue equipment to see if there were any reported fires in the area. None in the area. Called the flight attendants. They hesitated and then said 'now that you mention it; we do smell smoke.' a flight taxiing out shown his lights on us and said he did not see any external smoke. We decided to have the fire trucks follow us to the gate. Spoke with the flight attendants and told them we were not going to evacuate/evacuation but deplane the aircraft as quickly as possible. After all passenger were off; the fire crew boarded and told all crew members to deplane. We ran the shutdown checklist and exited the aircraft. Gate information: once we were parked at the gate and decided what our plan was the first officer assisted the flight attendants with the deplaning making sure people were ok and getting off the plane. I kept communications with the fire department informing them about the lavatory alarm that was sounding and where we believed the smoke was coming from. Supplemental information from acn 685631: after we shut the aircraft down; the first flight attendant notified us that the lavatory smoke detector was sounding. The passenger could hear the smoke detector as well as see the fire trucks; so I left the cockpit to assist the crew in an orderly deplaning.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW DETECTS SMOKE FUMES DURING INITIAL APCH TO ARPT. UPON LNDG; LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR SOUNDS; CFR CALLED TO EVALUATE SITUATION AFTER PAX DEPLANE.

Narrative: APPROX 10 MI N OF THE ARPT; BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS EITHER VOLCANO OR BRUSH FIRE IN THE AREA. WIND WAS CALM. SMELL DID NOT GET STRONGER BUT STAYED CONSISTENT. ON BASE FINAL WE PASSED OVER THE POWER PLANT AND SAW THE SMOKESTACK POURING OUT SMOKE. NORMAL LNDG AND TAXI OFF THE RWY WHEN THE SMOKE SMELL IN THE COCKPIT GOT STRONGER. ASKED TWR IF THERE WERE ANY FIRES IN THE AREA OR IF THEY SMELLED SMOKE. THEY SAID 'NO.' CALLED THE ARPT CFR TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RPTED FIRES IN THE AREA. NONE IN THE AREA. CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEY HESITATED AND THEN SAID 'NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT; WE DO SMELL SMOKE.' A FLT TAXIING OUT SHOWN HIS LIGHTS ON US AND SAID HE DID NOT SEE ANY EXTERNAL SMOKE. WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE FIRE TRUCKS FOLLOW US TO THE GATE. SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TOLD THEM WE WERE NOT GOING TO EVAC BUT DEPLANE THE ACFT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AFTER ALL PAX WERE OFF; THE FIRE CREW BOARDED AND TOLD ALL CREW MEMBERS TO DEPLANE. WE RAN THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST AND EXITED THE ACFT. GATE INFO: ONCE WE WERE PARKED AT THE GATE AND DECIDED WHAT OUR PLAN WAS THE FO ASSISTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS WITH THE DEPLANING MAKING SURE PEOPLE WERE OK AND GETTING OFF THE PLANE. I KEPT COMS WITH THE FIRE DEPT INFORMING THEM ABOUT THE LAVATORY ALARM THAT WAS SOUNDING AND WHERE WE BELIEVED THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 685631: AFTER WE SHUT THE ACFT DOWN; THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED US THAT THE LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR WAS SOUNDING. THE PAX COULD HEAR THE SMOKE DETECTOR AS WELL AS SEE THE FIRE TRUCKS; SO I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO ASSIST THE CREW IN AN ORDERLY DEPLANING.

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.