Narrative:

While descending to 15000 ft and after consuming crew meals; I noticed a change in air-conditioning/flow noise in cockpit. Within a couple of mins I could smell something burning; so I called back to the #1 flight attendant to ask if there was something in the ovens and to ask him to retrieve the meal trays. He didn't respond to my call; so I chimed the mid galley to see if they could get the #1 flight attendant's attention. No response came from the mid call either; so I chimed the aft galley. No one responded to any of my chimes. I then directed first officer to check the cabin situation through the view port and to hand the trays back to the #1 flight attendant. After the first officer left his seat the equipment overheat EICAS message and equipment cooling overheat light illuminated. I told the first officer to don his oxygen mask; as did I; and after establishing communications directed him to attempt contact with the cabin flight attendants. I selected the equipment cooling override switch to alternate cooling. I then informed approach control that we had an equipment overheat warning and possible fire and declared an emergency. I then asked them for clearance to the OM and a high speed descent and to have airport rescue fire fighting crews standing by for our landing in 5 mins. After a couple mins; the first officer checked the air quality and noticed that the smoke/odor had dissipated so he removed his mask. He then asked me if I wanted him to make the 'prepare for landing' PA; which I agreed. After this I then heard the #1 flight attendant's PA to the passenger on my speaker. Once the first officer resumed ATC communications; I then made a PA to the passenger and flight attendants about the nature of our possible equipment overheat warning and the need to have airport safety vehicles meet the aircraft for an inspection as a safety precaution. I told the passenger to follow the instructions of the flight attendants and that we would be remaining on the landing runway long enough for arff crews to inspect our aircraft. After landing; tower gave us a discrete frequency to communicate with the fire chief; however; this frequency was in use by tower simulcasting clrncs/instructions to airport traffic. This made it difficult for us to talk to the fire chief and I had to advise everyone on this frequency that we were in an emergency situation and needed to communicate with the fire chief only. We eventually resorted to hand signals and were given the all clear to taxi to our gate. After deplaning the passenger; I made the appropriate logbook entries and pulled the cockpit voice recorder circuit breaker because of the suspected in-flight fire. After conferring with the fire chief; maintenance personnel; and the gate agent; I left the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW REPORTS ELECTRICAL FUMES IN THE COCKPIT WITH AN EQUIPMENT OVHT EICAS MSG. AFTER AN EMER LNDG; FOUND COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER CB POPPED.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING TO 15000 FT AND AFTER CONSUMING CREW MEALS; I NOTICED A CHANGE IN AIR-CONDITIONING/FLOW NOISE IN COCKPIT. WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS I COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING; SO I CALLED BACK TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO ASK IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE OVENS AND TO ASK HIM TO RETRIEVE THE MEAL TRAYS. HE DIDN'T RESPOND TO MY CALL; SO I CHIMED THE MID GALLEY TO SEE IF THEY COULD GET THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT'S ATTN. NO RESPONSE CAME FROM THE MID CALL EITHER; SO I CHIMED THE AFT GALLEY. NO ONE RESPONDED TO ANY OF MY CHIMES. I THEN DIRECTED FO TO CHK THE CABIN SITUATION THROUGH THE VIEW PORT AND TO HAND THE TRAYS BACK TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. AFTER THE FO LEFT HIS SEAT THE EQUIP OVERHEAT EICAS MESSAGE AND EQUIP COOLING OVERHEAT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I TOLD THE FO TO DON HIS OXYGEN MASK; AS DID I; AND AFTER ESTABLISHING COMS DIRECTED HIM TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH THE CABIN FLT ATTENDANTS. I SELECTED THE EQUIP COOLING OVERRIDE SWITCH TO ALTERNATE COOLING. I THEN INFORMED APCH CTL THAT WE HAD AN EQUIP OVERHEAT WARNING AND POSSIBLE FIRE AND DECLARED AN EMER. I THEN ASKED THEM FOR CLRNC TO THE OM AND A HIGH SPD DSCNT AND TO HAVE ARPT RESCUE FIRE FIGHTING CREWS STANDING BY FOR OUR LNDG IN 5 MINS. AFTER A COUPLE MINS; THE FO CHKED THE AIR QUALITY AND NOTICED THAT THE SMOKE/ODOR HAD DISSIPATED SO HE REMOVED HIS MASK. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I WANTED HIM TO MAKE THE 'PREPARE FOR LNDG' PA; WHICH I AGREED. AFTER THIS I THEN HEARD THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT'S PA TO THE PAX ON MY SPEAKER. ONCE THE FO RESUMED ATC COMS; I THEN MADE A PA TO THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE NATURE OF OUR POSSIBLE EQUIP OVERHEAT WARNING AND THE NEED TO HAVE ARPT SAFETY VEHICLES MEET THE ACFT FOR AN INSPECTION AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. I TOLD THE PAX TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THAT WE WOULD BE REMAINING ON THE LNDG RWY LONG ENOUGH FOR ARFF CREWS TO INSPECT OUR ACFT. AFTER LNDG; TWR GAVE US A DISCRETE FREQ TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FIRE CHIEF; HOWEVER; THIS FREQ WAS IN USE BY TWR SIMULCASTING CLRNCS/INSTRUCTIONS TO ARPT TFC. THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO TALK TO THE FIRE CHIEF AND I HAD TO ADVISE EVERYONE ON THIS FREQ THAT WE WERE IN AN EMER SITUATION AND NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FIRE CHIEF ONLY. WE EVENTUALLY RESORTED TO HAND SIGNALS AND WERE GIVEN THE ALL CLR TO TAXI TO OUR GATE. AFTER DEPLANING THE PAX; I MADE THE APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES AND PULLED THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER BECAUSE OF THE SUSPECTED INFLT FIRE. AFTER CONFERRING WITH THE FIRE CHIEF; MAINT PERSONNEL; AND THE GATE AGENT; I LEFT THE ACFT.

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.