FLT ATTENDANT RPT; B757; MIA-CUN; DIVERT TO KEY WEST AT BOCA CHICA NAS; SMOKE IN CABIN; 3 LAVATORY SMOKE ALARMS ACTIVATED.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER WE STARTED OUR AFT FORWARD BEVERAGE SVC; THE FIRE ALARM CHIME BEGAN SOUNDING FROM THE AFT L SIDE LAVATORY. A FEMALE PAX HAD JUST STEPPED OUT OF ONE OF THE LAVATORIES; AND THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND MYSELF THOUGHT THAT THE PAX MAY HAVE SMOKED A CIGARETTE. FLT ATTENDANT #2 WENT BACK TO INVESTIGATE; WHILE I CONTINUED SERVING BEVERAGES. THE FEMALE PAX APPEARED VERY AGITATED THAT I WOULD NOT MOVE THE BEVERAGE CART UNTIL THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT RETURNED. THE ALARM WAS TURNED OFF AND FLT ATTENDANT #2 RETURNED SAYING THAT THE LAVATORY DID NOT SMELL LIKE SMOKE AND NOTHING APPEARED OUT OF NORMAL. WE ALLOWED THE PAX TO RETURN TO HER SEAT AND CONTINUED THE SVC. NOT MORE THAN 1 MIN LATER; THE MID CABIN L SIDE LAVATORY FIRE ALARM WENT OFF. FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I MADE EYE CONTACT AND HE TOLD ME TO LOOK IN THE CABIN. MY BACK WAS TO THE CABIN AND I TURNED AROUND AND SAW A SMOKY HAZE IN THE CABIN. AT THAT POINT WE ROLLED THE CART BACK TO THE GALLEY. I LOOKED UP TO SEE WHAT THE #3 AND #5 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE DOING. BY THAT TIME THE CABIN HAZE HAD THICKENED CONSIDERABLY. I GRABBED THE HALON AND OXYGEN EXTINGUISHERS; AND PBE'S. FLT ATTENDANT #2 CALLED THE COCKPIT WHILE I WAS DOING THIS. HE THEN TOOK ONE OF THE EXTINGUISHERS AND MOVED FORWARD THROUGH THE CABIN LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE OF SMOKE. I STAYED AFT AND BEGAN LOOKING IN THE LAVATORIES; AND THE GALLEY WITH THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT. I THEN CALLED THE COCKPIT AND RELAYED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO FIND A SOURCE IN THE AFT AREA. AT THIS POINT THE AFT LAVATORY SIGNAL WENT OFF AGAIN AND THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HEARD IT AND HUNG UP. FLT ATTENDANT #2 RETURNED TO THE AFT CABIN TO TRY AND TURN OFF THE SIGNAL BUT NEITHER HE NOR I WERE ABLE TO DO IT. WE GOT OUR MANUALS AND HEARD THE CAPT SAY ON THE PA 'FLT ATTENDANTS TAKE YOUR SEATS.' I WAS TOLD BY THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS LATER THAT I MADE THE PA FOR FASTEN SEATBELTS; ETC; IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH; BUT I DON'T REMEMBER DOING THIS. WE DID NOT TAKE OUR SEATS; BUT INSTEAD GOT MARKET BAGS AND STARTED PICKING UP THE CABIN AND TELLING PAX TO LOOK AT THEIR SAFETY BRIEFING CARDS. BY THIS TIME I HAD MOVED TO THE FORWARD PART OF THE CABIN; CHKING SEATBELTS; ETC. I SPOKE WITH THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WHO RELAYED THAT THEY HAD NOT FOUND A SOURCE OF SMOKE; AND THAT THE CAPT HAD GIVEN HIM NO INFO SO FAR. I RETURNED TO THE AFT CABIN FEELING THE FLOOR EVERY FEW FT NOT NOTICING ANY HEAT. ALSO; I KNEW OF AN AIR CREW WHO WERE SEATED BY THE WINDOW EXITS. I QUIETLY TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF AN EVAC; HOWEVER; SHOULD THE CAPT INITIATE AN EVAC TO OPEN UNOBSTRUCTED EXITS AND GET OUT. I DID THE SAME ON MY WAY BACK TO MY JUMP SEAT WITH THE FLC SEATED IN THE LAST 2 ROWS OF THE CABIN AND EXPLAINED THAT TO LISTEN TO THE CREW'S INSTRUCTIONS IF WE HAD TO EVAC. I NOTICED MANY PAX CRYING AND PRAYING; INCLUDING A FEW CREW MEMBERS. (THEIR CREW WAS A CREW OF 12.) THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED BACK AND TOLD US ALL THAT WE HAD 10 MINS; THE SIGNAL WAS 'EASY VICTOR;' AND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE CHKLIST. AT THAT TIME; THE CAPT CAME ON THE PA AND TOLD THE PAX THAT WE WERE LNDG IN KEY WEST AND FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. AT THAT MOMENT; A LOUD STATIC SOUND CAME OVER THE PA AND PEOPLE BEGAN TO GET VERY SCARED. WE WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN AND REASSURED PAX IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE OK; TO STAY IN THEIR SEATS AND LISTEN FOR INSTRUCTIONS. PRIOR TO LNDG; I LOOKED IN THE CABIN AND SAW MANY PAX PUTTING ON THEIR LIFE VESTS. AFTER LNDG; WE SAW EMER VEHICLES. FIREFIGHTERS BOARDED THE AIRPLANE ASKING US IF ANYONE NEEDED EMER ASSISTANCE. #2 FLT ATTENDANT STAYED BY THE DOORS. I DID A QUICK WALK THROUGH THE CABIN AND NOTICED A FEMALE PAX APPEARING TO HAVE DIFFICULTY BREATHING. SHE HAD TAKEN AN AIR SICKNESS BAG AND WAS BREATHING IN IT. I GOT THE MEDICS AND WE MOVED HER TO FIRST CLASS. SHE MENTIONED SHE WAS ASTHMATIC; TAKING VENTALIN; AND IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR HER TO HYPERVENTILATE WHILE UNDER STRESS. THE MEDICS TOOK OVER FROM THERE. WE WAITED AND DEPLANED BY FORWARD STAIRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT CABIN CREW NEVER FOUND OUT THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE; AND THAT 3 LAVATORIES (MID AND AFT) HAD SIMULTANEOUS SMOKE ALARMS GO OFF. THE CABIN CREW EVEN TRIED TO GET THEIR UNION TO FOLLOW THROUGH. BECAUSE THE CAPT HAD IT LISTED AS A DIVERSION; AND NOT AN EMER LNDG; SHE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING ANYONE IN THE COMPANY OR THE UNION TO FOLLOW UP ON IT. THE WORST PART ABOUT THE WHOLE FLT WAS THE CAPT'S LACK OF COM. HIS ONLY CONVERSATION; WAS TO COME OUT OF THE COCKPIT; TAKE ONE LOOK AT THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN; AND SAY IN FRONT OF FIRST CLASS PAX; 'OH *&^%!' AND THEN GO BACK INTO THE COCKPIT. SHE SAID THAT SHE LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE CAPT WAS NEW AND THAT THE FO WAS FLYING THAT LEG. THE CAPT NEVER ONCE EXPLAINED TO THE CABIN CREW WHAT WAS WRONG OR IF THEY SHOULD PREPARE FOR AN EVAC. HE MADE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS; THAT THEY WERE LNDG IN KEY WEST; WITH NO FORTHCOMING INFO. SHE INFORMED THE DEADHEADING OFF-LINE CREW TO REVIEW THEIR EMER PROCS; AND TO HELP WITH AN EVAC; IF NECESSARY. THEY ALSO TOLD THE PEOPLE SITTING AT EXITS TO BE PREPARED TO OPEN THE EXITS IN AN EMER. THE AIRLINE FERRIED IN AN AIRPLANE AND THEY WENT ON TO CANCUN WITH SAME PLTS AND PAX. EVEN THEN; THE CAPT WOULDN'T TELL THEM ANYTHING. SHE SAID SHE HEARD THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN OUT THE NEXT DAY; AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED.