B737-300
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 217
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft; Procedure
Night cruise at FL370 with thunderstorm avoidance en route to [destination]. Master Caution with 'IRS' on annunciator. There were no supporting indications of failure mode on aft overhead panel. No indications of platform failure/attitude failure when control instruments were compared. IRS annunciator went out with MC press. After comparing control instruments; I looked up at the overhead panel and discovered most Caution/Warning lights illuminated. All lights on the flight control panel were on (although hydraulic A & B were normal pressure; pressurization panel had all character segments flashing as if in a test mode; bottom row of Engine and Wing Anti-Ice lights were on (can't recall exactly if they were dim or bright); Green APU Squib light was on and Bottle Empty lights forward of Squib lights may have been on; All pitot static lights were on; Window Heat lights were all off.First Officer (pilot flying) assisted in crosschecks of instruments and mentioned noticing a faint electrical odor. My initial concern was losing cabin pressure; probably because that panel was flashing the most impressively. Both pilots at this point un-stowed our O2 masks in a ready manner. We were negotiating a weather avoidance route to the south along a southwest to northeast line of thunderstorms during this time. I felt in need of assistance and called Maintenance to request they call Dispatch and have them call us. When Dispatch called; I requested a conference patch to Maintenance. When everyone was on; I relayed our indications. During this time; I also discovered a popped circuit breaker on the P6-2 panel labeled; Zone 5; under Annunciations.With so many unrelated; yet each in and of itself; serious systems failure indications; I asked for suggestions. Maintenance checked aircraft history; found none of an electrical or circuit breaker problem and said it should be all right to reset the circuit breaker. Within 30 seconds of resetting the circuit breaker; we smelled increased electrical fumes; donned our masks; and performed the boxed items for smoke/fumes. I told the First Officer that we would be definitely diverting to [a nearby airport]. I left the ATC frequency (and intercom) to tell the flight attendants the situation and made a quick PA to the customers informing them of our intention to divert. By the time I was back on ATC and intercom; the First Officer had declared an emergency; obtained clearance to [divert airport] and initiated a rapid descent. We got around the line of thunderstorms to the east and would make it in VMC. We landed uneventfully.
Took too long to get Maintenance on the conference call. Also; they shouldn't have directed us to reset the circuit breaker. Additionally; we shouldn't have reset the circuit breaker when they directed.
B737-300 flight crew experienced electrical malfunction that included multiple flashing lights and electrical smoke. Crew declared an emergency and diverted to a suitable airport.