A B757 ON CLBOUT AT 14000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SMOKE AND SPARKS COMING FROM THE PAX CAB VIDEO UNIT.

Date: 2003-03 · Aircraft: B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: climb

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-smoke-fire-fumes-odor

Synopsis

A B757 ON CLBOUT AT 14000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SMOKE AND SPARKS COMING FROM THE PAX CAB VIDEO UNIT.

Narrative

DURING CLB OUT FROM ZZZ WE WERE NOTIFIED BY FA THE VIDEO UNIT IN THE CAB WAS ON FIRE AND SMOKING. WE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO ZZZ. SHORTLY AFTER THE NOTIFICATION; SEVERAL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED IN THE COCKPIT INCLUDING LNDG GEAR; FLAPS; PRESSURIZATION AND AUTOPLT LIGHTS. SOME MINOR CTL WHEEL AND RUDDER MOVEMENTS WERE FELT AT THAT TIME AS WELL. POWER WAS CUT OFF TO THE VIDEO SYS AT THE SOURCE AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED IN THE COCKPIT FOR THE SYS. AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL RETURN TO ZZZ. NORMAL PAX DEPLANEMENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. SAFETY CONCERNS ARE FOR A VIDEO UNIT FIRE/SMOLDER TO CAUSE THIS MANY COLLATERAL ISSUES IS NOT GOOD; BECAUSE THIS UNIT DID NOT DRAW MORE POWER. THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS DID NOT POP; AND PERHAPS A THERMAL SHUTDOWN FEATURE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR AVIATION VIDEO SYSTEMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER THE NOTIFICATION SEVERAL SYS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INCLUDING LNDG GEAR; FLAPS; PRESSURIZATION AND AUTOPLT. THE RPTR SAID SOME MINOR CTL WHEEL AND RUDDER MOVEMENTS WERE NOTED. THE RPTR STATED THE VIDEO SYS WAS POWERED FROM THE R MAIN BUS AND NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS RELATED TO THE VIDEO UNIT OR THE PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS WERE FOUND TRIPPED. THE RPTR SAID THE ONLY BREAKER FOUND TRIPPED WAS THE FO'S INSTRUMENT LIGHTING BREAKER. THE RPTR STATED IT WAS BELIEVED BY THE CREW AND GND TECHNICIANS THE CURRENT FEEDING THE VIDEO UNIT WAS NOT GREAT ENOUGH TO TRIP THE CB. THE RPTR SAID NO VISIBLE FLAMES WERE NOTED ONLY SMOKE AND SPARKS. THE RPTR STATED THESE UNITS SHOULD HAVE THERMAL CUT OFF DEVICES INSTALLED TO PRECLUDE THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.