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A B737 aft lav electrical wiring was seen arcing. Chafed wire was found above the towel dispenser that is constantly pushed and tugged.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 774885 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200802 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 774885 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Cruising at FL330 140 miles east of ZZZ; C flight attendant notified flight deck that a spark was seen in the aft lav (aircraft left). First officer confirmed sparks in the aft lav where the paper towel dispenser is located. Declared an emergency and immediately turned to ZZZ. B flight attendant stayed at the aft lav with fire extinguisher as precaution. Landed at ZZZ approximately 23 minutes after starting the diversion. Fire trucks met the aircraft and followed to the gate; where the passengers were deplaned and maintenance and fire came in the aircraft using the 2R door. I would certainly recommend that the entire fleet of our 737's be checked above the paper towel dispenser. The constant pushing and tugging on this dispenser caused the wire above to chafe and spark. This could potentially be a devastating incident if a passenger or flight attendant pulled out some paper towels and it caused a spark and ignited the rest of the paper towels. The first indication would be either seeing the smoke coming out of the lav or the smoke detector going off. One hundred and thirty miles out over the ocean; if the fire couldn't be put out quick a ditching would most likely occur.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 AFT LAV ELECTRICAL WIRING WAS SEEN ARCING. CHAFED WIRE WAS FOUND ABOVE THE TOWEL DISPENSER THAT IS CONSTANTLY PUSHED AND TUGGED.
Narrative: CRUISING AT FL330 140 MILES EAST OF ZZZ; C FLIGHT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED FLIGHT DECK THAT A SPARK WAS SEEN IN THE AFT LAV (ACFT LEFT). FO CONFIRMED SPARKS IN THE AFT LAV WHERE THE PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER IS LOCATED. DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO ZZZ. B FLIGHT ATTENDANT STAYED AT THE AFT LAV WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER AS PRECAUTION. LANDED AT ZZZ APPROXIMATELY 23 MINUTES AFTER STARTING THE DIVERSION. FIRE TRUCKS MET THE AIRCRAFT AND FOLLOWED TO THE GATE; WHERE THE PASSENGERS WERE DEPLANED AND MAINTENANCE AND FIRE CAME IN THE AIRCRAFT USING THE 2R DOOR. I WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THAT THE ENTIRE FLEET OF OUR 737'S BE CHECKED ABOVE THE PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER. THE CONSTANT PUSHING AND TUGGING ON THIS DISPENSER CAUSED THE WIRE ABOVE TO CHAFE AND SPARK. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE A DEVASTATING INCIDENT IF A PASSENGER OR FLIGHT ATTENDANT PULLED OUT SOME PAPER TOWELS AND IT CAUSED A SPARK AND IGNITED THE REST OF THE PAPER TOWELS. THE FIRST INDICATION WOULD BE EITHER SEEING THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE LAV OR THE SMOKE DETECTOR GOING OFF. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY MILES OUT OVER THE OCEAN; IF THE FIRE COULDN'T BE PUT OUT QUICK A DITCHING WOULD MOST LIKELY OCCUR.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.