A B737'S MALFUNCTIONING GENERATOR CTL UNIT CAUSED TOXIC SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT DURING TAXI. THE FO REMOVED THE GENERATOR CTL UNIT; BUT WAS AFFECTED BY THE HARMFUL SMOKE IN THE PROCESS.

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ON TAXI OUT AT LAS FO SAID HE THOUGHT HE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I SMELLED NOTHING; BUT WE TURNED OFF THE PACKS AND GASPER FAN AS THEY ARE WHERE I HAVE HAD PROBS IN THE PAST WITH SMELLS. I THEN SAW A THIN TRAIL OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE APU GENERATOR CTL UNIT BEHIND THE FO'S HEAD. I ASKED HIM TO REACH AROUND AND PULL THE HANDLE OUT. HE TRIED TO REACH AROUND; BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO REACH. ABOUT THAT TIME HE GOT A GOOD WHIFF OF SMOKE AND THEN PUT ON THE OXYGEN MASK. AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS HE WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE GENERATOR CTL AND PUT IT ON THE FLOOR. THE SMOKE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY; AND AFTER OPENING WINDOWS DISSIPATED QUICKLY. LATER AT THE GATE; THE MEDICS TREATED FO FOR SMOKE INHALATION. FO WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE AFTER SWITCHING AIRPLANES. THE ONE THING I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT IS TO HAVE HAD US BOTH PUT ON OXYGEN MASKS AT THE VERY FIRST SIGN OF SMOKE. WHEN WE PRACTICE THIS PROC IN THE SIMULATOR; YOU ARE ALWAYS INFLT. WHEN I WAS ON THE GND; I DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME SENSE OF URGENCY. PERHAPS THERE SHOULD BE MORE TAXI PROBS IN THE SIMULATOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: EITHER THE B737-200'S APU OR GENERATOR CTL UNIT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP THE DAY BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. THE CAPT (RPTR) WAS NOT SURE WHICH; BUT HE REMEMBERED THAT WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON THE SYS; AND IT HAD BEEN CLRED. WHEN THE SMOKE WAS INITIALLY DETECTED; THE CAPT WAS NOT TOO ALARMED; AS THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. IN HINDSIGHT; HE FEELS HE WAS TOO COMPLACENT ABOUT THE SMOKE. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED IN THE AIR; THEY (FLC) WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY DONNED MASKS. AS IT TURNED OUT; THIS COMPLACENCY ABOUT THE SMOKE WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN WHAT FOLLOWED. THE FO WAS NOT ONLY TREATED FOR SMOKE INHALATION BACK AT THE GATE; BUT HAD TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CAPT NOW FEELS THAT THE SMOKE WAS TOXIC; AND THAT THE FO SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED FLYING. WHEN THE FLC DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT; THEY BOTH THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THAT THEY DID NOT GO FOR THE MASKS RIGHT AWAY. THE FO WAS A FORMER FIREMAN; AND WAS QUITE SURPRISED AT HIS FAILURE TO FIRST GET THE OXYGEN ON.