A B757-200 ON LEVELOFF AT FL370 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND FORWARD CABIN. ACFT EVACED ON GND.

Date: 2003-10 · Aircraft: B757-200 · Phase: cruise

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

Synopsis

A B757-200 ON LEVELOFF AT FL370 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND FORWARD CABIN. ACFT EVACED ON GND.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER LEVELOFF AT FL370; WE SMELLED WHAT INITIALLY SMELLED TO ME LIKE A HOT AIR CONDITIONING DUCT. WE CHKED COCKPIT CABIN TEMP AND SAW 77 DEGS (A NORMAL INDICATION). I THEN SAW SMOKE IN THE FO'S MAP LIGHT BEAM. I CALLED THE PURSER AND ASKED IF HE HAD ANYTHING OVERHEATING OR BURNING IN THE GALLEY OVEN BECAUSE WE HAD SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. HE SAID NO BUT HE SHUT OFF THE OVENS. WE DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND GOGGLES AND PULLED OUT THE QRC WHICH CALLED FOR THE UTILITY BUSSES TO BE TURNED OFF. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND TURNED TOWARD ZZZ. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE PURSER CALLED AND SAID HE NOW HAD A SMOKE ALARM SOUNDING IN THE FORWARD AFT LAVATORY. I ASKED THAT THE PURSER DISCHARGE A HALON EXTINGUISHER INTO THE WATER HEATER COMPARTMENT OF THAT LAVATORY. THE PURSER CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT THE SMOKE WAS NOW GETTING WORSE IN THE CABIN. THE SMOKE WAS ALSO GETTING STRONGER (MORE ACRID) IN THE COCKPIT; SO WE DECIDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ALTERNATE (ZZZ2) VERSUS OUR ETOPS ALTERNATE (ZZZ). DURING DSCNT; WE DECIDED TO LAND STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 20; BUT WHEN WE GOT UPDATED WINDS WITH A 12 KT TAILWIND; WE REQUESTED RWY 2 AND ADVISED THAT WE WOULD MAKE A TIGHT TURN AND SHORT FINAL TO EXPEDITE OUR APCH. WE MAINTAINED 330 KTS UNTIL 4000 FT ON DOWNWIND. DURING THE SLOWING AND AS WE MADE THE TURN TO A VISUAL R BASE; I GOT SLIGHTLY LOW ON PROFILE. AS I CORRECTED WE GOT A GPWS WARNING 'TOO LOW TERRAIN.' I STEEPENED THE TURN TO FINAL AND CONTINUED CONFIGURING FOR LNDG. AT 500 FT; THE FO GAVE THE BRACE COMMAND TO THE PAX AND CREW. WE PREVIOUSLY ADVISED THE PURSER TO EXPECT A LAND EVAC. ON TOUCHDOWN; I TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND WE RAN THE EVAC QRC; ORDERING A LAND EVAC. WHEN ALL PAX AND CREW HAD EVACED; I GRABBED THE MEGA-PHONE FROM THE 1A OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT AND EXITED ON THE 1L SLIDE. WE USED THE MEGA-PHONE TO GATHER ALL PAX AT THE UPWIND NOSE SIDE OF THE ACFT. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES ON EVAC. ONE FLT ATTENDANT HAD AN ANKLE INJURY; AND ANOTHER HAD BACK PAIN AFTER LIFTING THE OVERWING EXIT OUT OF THE MAIN AISLE DURING THE EVAC. WE LANDED APPROX 2000 LBS OVER THE MAX LNDG WT. I DETERMINED IT SAFER TO LAND OVERWT THAN TO DELAY. THE 5 WORKING FLT ATTENDANTS AND 2 DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR A SAFE EVAC OF ALL 119 SOULS ON BOARD.

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