A B757-200 FLT IS MANDATED TO RETURN LAND WHEN CABIN CREW RPTS STRONG ELECTRICAL ODOR FUMES IN CABIN WHILE AT FL290; 40 MI W OF AVL; NC.

Narrative

APPROX 40 NM W OF AVL AT FL290 CLBING; FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED AN ODOR IN THE ACFT CABIN FROM ABOUT MID CABIN TO AFT GALLEY; THEY BELIEVED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. I WENT BACK AND CONFIRMED IT. WE ADVISED ZTL WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AND RETURNING TO CLT AS A PRECAUTION. SHOULD THE SIT HAVE GOTTEN WORSE; WE COULD HAVE USED AVL OR GSP AS AN ALTERNATE. THE CAPT MADE AN OVERWT LNDG IN CLT AND IT WAS VERY SMOOTH. WE WERE ENRTE FROM CLT TO SFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO RPTR STATED THAT THE COCKPIT CREW WENT THROUGH THE EMER CHKLIST DURING THE TURNAROUND AND ATTEMPTED TO ISOLATE THE ELECTRICAL SYS BY PULLING CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO CORRECT THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. ARRIVING AT THE GATE IN CLT THEY FOUND 2 FAA MAINT INSPECTORS WAITING FOR THE FLT. COMPANY MAINT FOUND FAULTED ELECTRICAL WIRING TO ONE OF THE RECIRCULATING FANS IN THE FORWARD LOWER E&E COMPARTMENT. AFTER ABOUT A 1 1/2 HR DELAY; THE PROB WAS CORRECTED; SIGNED OFF AND THE FLT AGAIN DEPARTED FOR SFO.