B767-300 CREW DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE FOREIGN ARPT AFTER SMELLING A BURNING ODOR.

2005-01 · NASA ASRS report 642191

Date: 2005-01 · Aircraft: B767-300 and 300 ER · Phase: cruise

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

Synopsis

B767-300 CREW DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE FOREIGN ARPT AFTER SMELLING A BURNING ODOR.

Narrative

WE BEGAN SMELLING AN ODOR THAT SEEMED AT FIRST TO BE LIKE BURNING PAPER. THE FO AND I LOOKED AROUND THE COCKPIT AND THEN CALLED THE FORWARD GALLEY TO CHK THE OVENS AND LAVATORIES. NOTHING. SMELL INCREASED AND SEEMED THEN TO BE MORE OF AN ELECTRICAL/PLASTIC SMELL; NO VISIBLE SMOKE. PUT ON OXYGEN MASKS AND RAN QRC FOR SMOKE/FUMES. TRIED CALLING DISPATCH. MEANTIME; PULLED UP WX FOR NEARBY ARPTS. GOT DISPATCH AND MAINT CTLR ON THE SAT PHONE BUT HAD A HARD TIME COMMUNICATING WITH POOR CONNECTION AND USING THE MASKS. ODOR WAS STILL INCREASING; TOLD DISPATCH WE WERE DIVERTING TO ZZZ; FO. HE SAID HE WOULD COORD WITH ZZZ. DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR AND GOT CLRED DIRECT TO XXX VOR AND A DSCNT TO 10000 FT. CALLED THE PURSER AND BRIEFED ON SIT. NO ODOR IN CABIN. HE ASKED FOR ABOUT 5 MINS TO BRIEF HIS CREW BEFORE I MADE A CABIN ANNOUNCEMENT. KEPT IT AS A CABIN ADVISORY AT THAT POINT. RELIEF PLT RETURNED TO COCKPIT. WX WAS CLR AND CALM IN ZZZ. REQUESTED THE FIRE TRUCKS TO BE AVAILABLE. ODOR WAS THEN NOT INCREASING; BUT NOT DISSIPATING; SLIGHT HAZE IN COCKPIT. SLIGHT SMELL; HAZE BY DOOR 1L BUT NOWHERE ELSE. GOT RPT OF NO VISUAL SMOKE/FIRE FROM FIRE CREW AND WERE GUIDED TO A REMOTE SPOT ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM THE TERMINAL. STAIRS WERE PUT TO DOORS 1L AND 2L. ARRANGED WITH OPS AGENT TO GET PAX OFF PLANE. SENT SOME OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WITH PAX AS THEY WERE WALKED ACROSS THE RAMP TO TERMINAL; WHERE THEY CLRED IMMIGRATION AND WERE HELD IN A SECURE AREA. STARTED TRYING TO ARRANGE SOME MAINT AND SVCING. THIS TOOK HRS. WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMPANY ON THE SAT PHONE (THE SATCOM WOULD FAIL THE NEXT DAY DURING OUR FERRY FLT) AND NONE OF OUR CELL PHONES WORKED. HAD TO GIVE RPTS TO THE FIRE CHIEF AND SEVERAL LEVELS OF POLICE. WE WENT OVER TO TERMINAL WHERE THEY LET ME USE A PHONE. WAS ABLE TO TALK TO DISPATCH AND THEN FROM THAT POINT ON TO COMPANY OPS. WENT INTO TERMINAL AND SPOKE TO PAX. COMPANY OPS HAD TALKED TO HANDLING ACR SO I WENT OVER THE THEIR OFFICE. SUPPOSEDLY COMPANY OPS HAD ARRANGED FOR HANDLING ACR TO TAKE CARE OF PAX WITH VOUCHERS; ETC; BUT IN SPITE OF 2 FAXES AND SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AUTHORIZING; I FOUND OUT LATER THAT HANDLING ACR NEVER DID DO ANYTHING FOR OUR PEOPLE. SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHEN THE MECHS WOULD COME ON DUTY; NOBODY SHOWED FOR HRS. SOME MECHS FINALLY SHOWED UP BUT SEEMED VERY UNSURE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING. I WAS UP IN THE FORWARD CARGO HOLD AS THEY CHKED THE E&E EXHAUST FAN. THEY DECLARED IT SEEMED TO WORK EVEN THOUGH THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED INFLT AND WAS STILL OUT.

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

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