United flight diverted to remote Midway Island due to odor

a reply to: generik

Because the report of electronics failing are unconfirmed. Obviously the transponder, which supposedly failed, worked the entire time, since it was tracked until landing.

a reply to: roadgravel

I've seen less do worse.

But by Monday morning United had revealed the mysterious cause of the mechanical issue: A problem with the equipment supply cooling fan on board the Boeing 777

Link

I still think it's odd that a cooling fan for electronic equipment can meltdown (short or whatever) for hours. I am used to consumer cooling fans just crapping out due to bearings. What makes these fans so much different other than the probably being more robust and efficient.

Any comments from those with aircraft maintenance experience here.

edit:

Could it be the equipment getting hot and that causing the smell? A result of the fan not cooling properly.

a reply to: roadgravel

Those fans will run hot for awhile before failing. Some of the old ones we had would run for days with a bad bearing before freezing.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Do you think he 'electric smell' was the hot equipment causing off gas from plastics, etc. or was it actually the fan creating the odor?

I would like to understand more than the bit we get fed in today's news. I just wonder if heat could have damaged some of the electronics since at least some of it is said to have failed. Will it bounce back to like new or is some pilot in for a surprise on a future flight.

a reply to: roadgravel

Most of it was most likey the fan, but any issues with the electronics should be easy enough to fix.