<< >> NASA ASRS Report 723750, January 2007

An MD82 crew experienced an electrical burning wire smell with pfd flickering. An emergency was declared with a return to land.

Attributes
ACN	723750
Time
Date	200701
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : zzz.vor
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Snow Ice other
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-82
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	723750
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
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Weather
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We were climbing out of FL200 when the captain's pfd blinked followed by some clicking noise. We then smelled a strong odor which we both believed to be burning electrical wires. We asked to level off at FL220 and by the time we leveled off; the captain said; 'let's turn back to ZZZ and declare an emergency.' while in the descent; the smell started to go away. We turned for ZZZ and I proceeded to notify the flight attendants; dispatch and the passenger that we were coming back to ZZZ.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the flight crew has not been given any additional information about this event other than the captain's pfd overheated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD82 CREW EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING WIRE SMELL WITH PFD FLICKERING. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING OUT OF FL200 WHEN THE CAPT'S PFD BLINKED FOLLOWED BY SOME CLICKING NOISE. WE THEN SMELLED A STRONG ODOR WHICH WE BOTH BELIEVED TO BE BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRES. WE ASKED TO LEVEL OFF AT FL220 AND BY THE TIME WE LEVELED OFF; THE CAPT SAID; 'LET'S TURN BACK TO ZZZ AND DECLARE AN EMER.' WHILE IN THE DSCNT; THE SMELL STARTED TO GO AWAY. WE TURNED FOR ZZZ AND I PROCEEDED TO NOTIFY THE FLT ATTENDANTS; DISPATCH AND THE PAX THAT WE WERE COMING BACK TO ZZZ.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FLT CREW HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT THIS EVENT OTHER THAN THE CAPT'S PFD OVERHEATED.

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.