B727 crew aborted takeoff when they had smoke in the cockpit.
Synopsis
B727 crew aborted takeoff when they had smoke in the cockpit.
Narrative
Rewritten in plain English from NASA’s original all-caps telegraphic report — facts, figures, and terminology preserved.
On takeoff roll, electrical smoke came from the pilot's overhead panel through the runway turnoff light switches. We aborted the takeoff (approximately 60 knots), shut off the switches, and pulled the circuit breakers. The smoke stopped. We advised ATC and deplaned at the gate.
Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following info: Crew was flying a B727-200 aircraft. The pilot saw burned and charred wiring from the runway turnoff light switches when maintenance lowered the overhead panel. These lights, along with the landing lights, were turned on just prior to beginning the takeoff roll. The circuit breakers for the runway turnoff lights did not pop. The reporter has never heard of a similar occurrence. He considered this a unique event.
Show the original NASA report (verbatim, telegraphic)
ON TKOF ROLL; ELECTRICAL SMOKE CAME FROM THE PLT'S OVERHEAD PANEL THROUGH THE RWY TURNOFF LIGHT SWITCHES. WE ABORTED THE TKOF (APPROX 60 KTS); SHUT OFF THE SWITCHES; AND PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE SMOKE STOPPED. WE ADVISED ATC AND DEPLANED AT THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING A B727-200 ACFT. THE PLT SAW BURNED AND CHARRED WIRING FROM THE RWY TURNOFF LIGHT SWITCHES WHEN MAINT LOWERED THE OVERHEAD PANEL. THESE LIGHTS; ALONG WITH THE LNDG LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON JUST PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE TKOF ROLL. THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR THE RWY TURNOFF LIGHTS DID NOT POP. THE RPTR HAS NEVER HEARD OF A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE. HE CONSIDERED THIS A UNIQUE EVENT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.