What was found
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE FLIGHT CREW DETECTED AN UNUSUAL ODOR IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE SMELL DID NOT APPEAR TO ORIGINATE FROM ANY SPECIFIC LOCATION AND WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY THE CABIN CREW. ONE PILOT DESCRIBED THE ODOR AS POSSIBLY “BURNING,” THOUGH NOT ELECTRICAL IN NATURE, WHILE THE OTHER DESCRIBED IT AS “WOODY.” NO SMOKE WAS OBSERVED AT ANY TIME. THE FLIGHT LASTED LESS THAN 15 MINUTES AND REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 12,000 FEET BEFORE RETURNING TO LAND. THE INTENSITY OF THE ODOR DID NOT INCREASE AFTER IT WAS FIRST NOTICED. NO ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED, AND NO ODOR WAS DETECTED. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL PERFORMED ENGINE RUNS, OPERATED ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, AND CARRIED OUT THOROUGH INSPECTIONS FOR ANY SIGNS OF ODOR OR ABNORMALITIES. NONE WERE FOUND. BLEED AIR SYSTEMS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY, WITH AIRFLOW THROUGH THE AIR CYCLE MACHINE (ACM) INTO THE CABIN. AFTER COMPLETING ALL GROUND INSPECTIONS, AN OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE SAME FLIGHT CREW AND A TECHNICIAN ONBOARD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN FOR OVER 30 MINUTES AND CLIMBED TO 20,000 FEET. AT NO POINT DURING THE FLIGHT WAS ANY UNUSUAL ODOR OR SMOKE DETECTED. UPON COMPLETION OF THE CHECK FLIGHT, THE TECHNICIAN CONDUCTED A FINAL INSPECTION OF THE CABIN, TAIL BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, AND EQUIPMENT AREAS. NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE, ODOR, OR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.