An air carrier aircraft developed an electrical burning smell in the cabin. An emergency was declared followed by a diversion to a nearby airport. After the aircraft's entertainment power ports were turned off the smell dissipated.
Synopsis
An air carrier aircraft developed an electrical burning smell in the cabin. An emergency was declared followed by a diversion to a nearby airport. After the aircraft's entertainment power ports were turned off the smell dissipated.
Narrative
I overheard Flight Attendant #4 tell the pilots on the interphone that she could not smell the 'smell' at the front of the aircraft. After she hung up; she asked me to follow her to the back and smell what they had been smelling. On the way back she stopped at the exit windows and asked a uniformed jumpseating pilot to assist her. I saw Flight Attendant #2; in the aft cabin asking passengers to get out of their seats. Flight Attendant #2 had an extinguisher in her hand and was communicating with the pilots on the inter phone. The jumpseating pilot began removing cushions and looking for the source of the odor. It was a strong smell of burning rubber. I then returned to the front of the plane; turned off the power ports and retrieved another halon extinguisher from the first class left-hand overhead bin. I went back; only to then hear pilots announce we were diverting. I made a PA to prepare for landing from the aft galley inter phone; stowed the 2 extinguishers under seats; and went up front to prepare my first class cabin. The odor seemed to dissipate after the pilots pulled circuit breakers. We did not evacuate once we landed. Captain; First Officer along with Flight Attendant #4 and Flight Attendant #2 were professional and skilled at handling this emergency landing. I am very proud to and thankful to have worked with them throughout the incident and the continuing journey.
Second reporter narrative
I was reading in the aft galley jumpseat after the service was over and I started to smell a burning smell. I looked around and saw other passengers were noticing it as well. I went to the back and asked Flight Attendant #2 if she smelled anything. She said she did and came to the aft galley. I called the Captain and told him about the smell. He said he smelled something cooking so I told him I would go to the front and see if that is what the smell was. It was not; I didn't smell the burning towards the front of the cabin I called him back to let him know. When I went back to the main cabin I grabbed a pilot from a different airline and asked him to come to the back with me. When we were going to the back I noticed a lot of people moving forward. The #2 Flight Attendant had moved the people out of some seats to see if she could feel anything hot. Passengers were saying it was coming from their row. The #2 told me to get halon and bring it there. The #1 also brought her halon back. The #2 Flight Attendant was on the phone with the Captain and told him we needed to land the smell was getting stronger. The Captain told us we were going to land and to prepare the cabin and sit down. We landed in about 25 minutes. After the Captain turned the power ports off the smell started to calm down.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.