A B757-200 CAPTAIN; ENROUTE AT FL340; FIRST NOTICED A SMELL; FOLLOWED BY LARGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE AND FUMES. EMERGENCY DECLARED. CO-PILOT'S FWD WINDOW INNER GLASS PANE SHATTERED.

Date: 2008-01 · Aircraft: B757-200 · Phase: cruise

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

Synopsis

A B757-200 CAPTAIN; ENROUTE AT FL340; FIRST NOTICED A SMELL; FOLLOWED BY LARGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE AND FUMES. EMERGENCY DECLARED. CO-PILOT'S FWD WINDOW INNER GLASS PANE SHATTERED.

Narrative

THIS WAS THE THIRD LEG ON THE FIRST DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. WE STARTED WITH THIS PLANE AND KEPT IT ALL DAY. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER BEEN PAIRED WITH THE FO AND HAD NEVER MET HIM BEFORE. IT WAS AN UNEVENTFUL FLT UNTIL WE WERE OVER THE OCEAN AT FL340. FIRST I NOTICED THE SMELL; FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY LARGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE AND FUMES; NONE OF IT COMING FROM AN OBVIOUS PLACE. WE DONNED OXYGEN MASKS; GOGGLES AND ESTABLISHED INTER-PHONE COMS. WHILE THE FO WAS OPENING THE QRH TO THE SMOKE/FUMES REMOVAL; I DECLARED AN EMER ON 121.5 AND TURNED THE ACFT TOWARDS THE COAST. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE QRH IN ITS ENTIRETY; AND WHILE WAITING TO DETERMINE IF THE SMOKE WAS DISSIPATING; I HAD OTHER ACFT RELAY OUR DISTRESS CALL AND LATITUDE/LONGITUDE TO ATC. I ALSO MADE CONTACT WITH COMRDO ON HF AND HAD HIM RELAY OUR LATITUDE/LONGITUDE AND INTENTIONS TO DIVERT TO ZZZ. THE SMOKE APPEARED TO DISSIPATE SOMEWHAT SO WE REMAINED AT FL340. BY THIS TIME WE WERE IN COM WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND WERE ADVISED THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OR NO SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND PAX WERE OK. I ASKED THE PURSER TO REMAIN ON THE INTER-PHONE AND ADVISE US IF ANYTHING CHANGED. AT THAT POINT; WE STARTED TO LOOK FOR THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. THE FO TOOK HIS FLASHLIGHT AND LOOKED THROUGHOUT THE OVERHEAD AND BACK CIRCUIT BREAKER PANELS. IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME THAT A SMALL PIECE OF GLASS FROM THE FO'S FRONT WINDOW FLEW OFF AND HIT HIM. THEN THE WINDOW STARTED TO CRACK AND MORE GLASS FLEW OFF. WE STARTED DSNDING AND BY NOW WE HAD A GOOD VHF FREQ FOR CTR AND OTHER ACFT WOULD RELAY FOR US TO COORDINATE OUR ALT. THE AMOUNT OF GLASS FLYING OFF THE WINDSHIELD WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY; SO I ELECTED TO SLOW DOWN TO 250 KTS (WE WERE DOING 340 KTS IN ORDER TO LAND ASAP). ONCE WE HAD SLOWED OUR SPD; WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO 10000 FT. WE WERE APPROX 100 MI FROM ZZZ WHEN THE WINDOW MADE A VERY LOUD BANG AND BUCKLED. THE PANE SHATTERED COMPLETELY; BLOCKING ALL OUTSIDE VISIBILITY. WE CONTINUED THE FLT TO ZZZ. WE HAD ALREADY COORDINATED WITH FLT ATTENDANTS A SIGNAL TO USE IN THE EVENT A GND EVAC WAS REQUIRED. FORTUNATELY; NONE WAS REQUIRED AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ONCE WE HAD STOPPED; CFR INSPECTED THE ACFT; FOUND NO ISSUES; AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WHERE PARAMEDICS WERE WAITING. WE WERE TAKEN TO LCL HOSPITALS TO BE TREATED FOR SMOKE INHALATION AND/OR GLASS INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT APPROX TWENTY MINUTES AFTER THE SMOKE STARTED; THEY NOTICED CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE CO-PILOT'S FWD WINDOW; INNER PANE. THEY WERE FLYING OVER WATER; AT NIGHT AND DID NOT SEE ANY ARCING AROUND THE UPPER OR LOWER BUS BARS. APPROX 100 MILES OUT; THE INNER PANE SHATTERED AND BUCKLED INWARDS SPRAYING GLASS INTO THE COCKPIT. FORTUNATELY; THEY WERE BOTH WEARING THEIR SMOKE GOGGLES AND OXYGEN MASKS. REPORTER STATED THE SMOKE CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT; ALTHOUGH NOT AS INTENSE AS THEY APPROACHED LANDING. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED AND NO EICAS MESSAGES EVER APPEARED. THE ONLY INDICATION THEY NOTICED WAS THE WINDOW HEAT 'INOP' LIGHT CAME ON; SO HE MOVED THE SWITCH TO 'OFF.' HIS PILOT'S QRH DOESN'T INDICATE ANY SPEED RESTRICTIONS ARE REQUIRED AS A RESULT OF ANY WINDOW PANE CRACKING OR SHATTERING.

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