A B737-300 crew declared an emergency and returned to land after a strong electrical or insulation b...

Attributes
ACN	787971
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	787971
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	787968
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Just handed off to departure and climbing through 12000 ft MSL first officer made comment 'I smell a burning odor.' continued the climb to cleared altitude FL230 and continued to investigate odor. I had as yet not smelled anything. Within a min or so I started to smell an acrid/burning odor similar to electrical wires or insulation burning smell. It became stronger as we climbed and I commanded the smoke/fumesecond officerdor qrc; we donned oxygen masks and decided on an immediate return to ZZZ with ATC. I called cabin asked them if they had any unusual odor/fumes/smoke. They called back within a couple of mins with nothing unusual. I told them to prepare cabin for landing and we would be on ground in ZZZ 10 mins. Declared emergency and landed in VFR conditions. After landing the odor was pretty much gone and we elected to taxi to gate after again checking with cabin crew. Callback conversation with reporter acn 787968 revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the source of the electrical smell was the autoplt MCP on the front glare shield.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER A STRONG ELECTRICAL OR INSULATION BURNING SMELL WAS DETECTED AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: JUST HANDED OFF TO DEP AND CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT MSL FO MADE COMMENT 'I SMELL A BURNING ODOR.' CONTINUED THE CLB TO CLRED ALT FL230 AND CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE ODOR. I HAD AS YET NOT SMELLED ANYTHING. WITHIN A MIN OR SO I STARTED TO SMELL AN ACRID/BURNING ODOR SIMILAR TO ELECTRICAL WIRES OR INSULATION BURNING SMELL. IT BECAME STRONGER AS WE CLBED AND I COMMANDED THE SMOKE/FUMES/ODOR QRC; WE DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AND DECIDED ON AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO ZZZ WITH ATC. I CALLED CABIN ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD ANY UNUSUAL ODOR/FUMES/SMOKE. THEY CALLED BACK WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL. I TOLD THEM TO PREPARE CABIN FOR LNDG AND WE WOULD BE ON GND IN ZZZ 10 MINS. DECLARED EMER AND LANDED IN VFR CONDITIONS. AFTER LNDG THE ODOR WAS PRETTY MUCH GONE AND WE ELECTED TO TAXI TO GATE AFTER AGAIN CHKING WITH CABIN CREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 787968 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE ELECTRICAL SMELL WAS THE AUTOPLT MCP ON THE FRONT GLARE SHIELD.

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.

A B737-300 crew declared an emergency and returned to land after a strong electrical or insulation burning smell was detected after takeoff.