B757 FLT CREW HAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND COCKPIT WHILE ON INITIAL DSCNT INTO SFO.

Narrative

SMOKE IN THE AIRPLANE. CREW WAS FLYING XXX IDENT XXXX ??? AND WAS JUST COMPLETING THE ZZZ SFO SEGMENT WITH THE ACFT OVER THE SFO ARPT AT 11000 FT AT 280 KTS. DURING DSCNT; CREW HAD HEARD A PERSISTENT WHINE; AS IN AN AIR LEAK AROUND A NOSE GEAR DOOR; OR RADOME. COCKPIT LIGHTS HAD RECENTLY BEEN DIMMED FOR NIGHT OP. LIGHTING SUDDENLY REVERTED TO FULL BRIGHT; FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE 'INOP' LIGHT IN THE L RECIRCULATION FAN SWITCH. I LOOKED AROUND THE COCKPIT FOR ADDITIONAL INDICATIONS; AS I THOUGHT A MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS IN PROGRESS. NOTHING NOTED ATC GAVE US A DSCNT TO 8000 FT. AS DSCNT WAS INITIATED; SIMULTANEOUSLY I SMELLED SMOKE; AND A CABIN FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO RPT PRESENCE OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN. FO AND I DONNED THE OXYGEN MASKS; MY GLASSES WERE KNOCKED OFF AND LOST IN THE PROCESS. FO INITIALLY FORGOT TO SELECT 'MASK' POS ON INTERPHONE PANEL AND COULD NOT XMIT. AT THIS POINT CREW COMS BECAME VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE MASKS. WE HAD TO YELL AND USE HAND SIGNS. FO PERFORMED QRH FOR SMOKE; FUMES; ODORS; BUT NO ITEMS. WE GOT CLRNC FOR IMMEDIATE TURN TO LAND VISUALLY ON RWY 28R. EMER WAS NOT DECLARED BUT TWR DID ROLL THE TRUCKS ANYWAY. 'SMOKE' LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AT ANY TIME. NORMAL LNDG. SMOKE GONE. MASKS WERE REMOVED AND DECISION WAS MADE TO IMMEDIATELY PROCEED TO GATE FOR DEPLANING. FIRE DEPT CREW CAME ON BOARD FOR DEBRIEFING; FOLLOWED BY MAINT. FLT TIME WAS 5-7 MINS AFTER ONSET OF PROB. MAINT APPRAISAL: FORWARD EQUIP COOLING FAN FAILED-GENERATED SMOKE; AND ACFT RESPONDED AUTOMATICALLY; AS DESIGNED; OVERBOARD EXHAUST VALVE OPENED; L RECIRCULATION FAN SHUT DOWN; SMOKE LIGHT WAS INHIBITED FOR A WHILE. NORMAL CHKLISTS AND QRH WERE EXECUTED BUT NO REF CHKLISTS DUE TO SHORT REMAINING FLT TIME. SOME OBSERVATIONS: CAPT KNOCKED OFF GLASSES WHILE INSTALLING MASK. NOT RECOVERED UNTIL LATER. FO INITIALLY FORGOT TO SELECT 'MASK' ON XMIT SELECTOR PANEL. CAPT LOST EARPIECE WHILE REMOVING MASK. MASKS REALLY INHIBITED COMS IN THE COCKPIT. WE HAD TO YELL; AND USE HAND SIGNALS. CREW HAD TO ACT SEMI-INDEPENDENTLY IN GETTING ACFT ON THE GND. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WAS IMPOSSIBLE. AFTER LNDG; THE SIT DISCUSSED WITH THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT; DISPATCHER AND DUTY FLT MGR WERE DEBRIEFED BY PHONE; SEPARATELY.