A C750 CREW; CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT; DETECTED A BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR; SPAWNING A DIVERSION TO NEARBY BWI.

Narrative

DURING CLB THROUGH 10000 FT MSL; THE FO SAID HE NOTICED AN 'ELECTRICAL ODOR' OR SOMETHING BURNING. HE WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT. AT THAT TIME; I DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING ABNORMAL; BUT HAD THE FO PERFORM THE CLB CHKS AND THEN ASKED HIM TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHERE THE ODOR MIGHT BE COMING FROM. HE TRAVELED THROUGH THE ACFT CABIN AND LAVATORY AND RPTED THAT THE SMELL SEEMED TO BE CONCENTRATED NEAR THE FORWARD GALLEY AND COCKPIT AREA. WHEN PASSING THROUGH APPROX FL250; I BEGAN TO SMELL WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRE OR BURNING PLASTIC. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB; BEGINNING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SYS (ENG BLEED AIR/ACM; ETC). WITH NO DEFINITIVE RESULT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL SYS; WE CONTINUED BY SHUTTING DOWN GALLEY ITEMS. FINALLY; WE SHUT OFF THE ENTIRE CABIN (CE-750 PROVIDES A CABIN MASTER SWITCH FOR THIS PURPOSE). THE ODOR DID NOT GET ANY STRONGER AND WE DID NOT SEE ANY SMOKE OR FIRE AND COULDN'T FIND ANY HEAT OR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS FROM ANY SYS. HOWEVER; NOTHING WE DID SEEMED TO ELIMINATE OR REMOVE THE SMELL. WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO BWI DUE TO ITS PROX TO OUR CURRENT LOCATION. INITIALLY; WE ONLY REQUESTED A DEST CHANGE WITH ZDC. THE FO HANDLED COMS; BUT I KNOW WE DID EXPLAIN WHY WE NEEDED THE CHANGE. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO APCH; WE BEGAN RECEIVING VECTORS FOR SPACING. THE ODOR HAD NOT DISSIPATED DESPITE ALL NON ESSENTIAL ITEMS REMAINING OFF; INCLUDING THE ENTIRE GALLEY AND CABIN. SINCE WE FELT IT BEST TO LAND ASAP; WE REQUESTED PRIORITY AT THAT TIME. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY GIVEN A VECTOR TO THE ARPT AND ACQUIRED THE FIELD VISUALLY. WHEN WE WERE TURNED OVER TO THE TWR; WE RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC AND THEY ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE PROB. (IN A CONVERSATION WITH THE LCL TWR CTLR LATER; THE INFO HAD NOT BEEN PASSED ON. THE CONCLUSION WAS MADE THAT BECAUSE WE HAD NOT REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING UNTIL CHKING IN WITH APCH; THE NATURE OF THE SIT HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED BTWN CTR AND APCH.) WE LANDED AT BWI WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBS AND AT NO TIME DID ANY SMOKE OR FIRE OCCUR. BOTH PAX WERE QUESTIONED AND NEITHER SAID THEY HAD NOTICED ANY ODOR UNTIL WE INITIATED OUR DSCNT INTO BWI. THE SMALL AMOUNT OF CONFUSION CREATED BY THE TWR NOT KNOWING WHY WE NEEDED PRIORITY COULD HAVE BEEN CLRED UP IF WHEN WE REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING; WE HAD RESTATED THE PROB. I BELIEVE EVERYTHING ELSE WAS HANDLED IN A PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS MANNER. INCIDENTALLY; AS OF NOV/TUE/02; THE ONLY CAUSE THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED A 'POSSIBILITY' IS AN OVERHEATED FLUORESCENT LIGHT IN THE PSU; LOCATED ABOVE THE VIP SEAT IN THE CABIN. THE GALLEY HAS BEEN REMOVED AND INSPECTED AND NOTHING HAS BEEN FOUND.