Narrative:

Aircraft had just completed missed approach at msy due to thunderstorm activity. We were en route to our diversion base of hou. At approximately 20000 ft, the aircraft was either struck by lightning, or experienced a static discharge. Aircraft performance and instrument indications remained normal. Shortly thereafter, the 'a' line flight attendant came to the cockpit and reported a cabin fire. She went on to say that, although there was no smoke, there was an odor present and the ceiling just aft of the first class divider was hot to the touch. The in-flight cabin fire checklist was initiated. The cabin altitude was raised to 9500 ft in accordance with the checklist as was a descent to the nearest suitable airport, lake charles, la. Further investigation revealed that the likely source of the heat and odor was a lighting fixture in the ceiling. Cabin lighting circuit breakers were pulled and the flight attendant reported the ceiling was cooling off. An emergency was declared and an uneventful landing accomplished at lake charles. Fire department personnel discovered that the upper rotating beacon had fallen from its housing and fallen on the ceiling panel. There was no damage of any kind to the aircraft. The emergency was terminated at approximately AM30 local.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED AND DIVERSION TO ALT ARPT AFTER CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS CABIN FIRE SUBSEQUENT TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE.

Narrative: ACFT HAD JUST COMPLETED MISSED APCH AT MSY DUE TO TSTM ACTIVITY. WE WERE ENRTE TO OUR DIVERSION BASE OF HOU. AT APPROX 20000 FT, THE ACFT WAS EITHER STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, OR EXPERIENCED A STATIC DISCHARGE. ACFT PERFORMANCE AND INST INDICATIONS REMAINED NORMAL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE 'A' LINE FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND RPTED A CABIN FIRE. SHE WENT ON TO SAY THAT, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO SMOKE, THERE WAS AN ODOR PRESENT AND THE CEILING JUST AFT OF THE FIRST CLASS DIVIDER WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE INFLT CABIN FIRE CHKLIST WAS INITIATED. THE CABIN ALT WAS RAISED TO 9500 FT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHKLIST AS WAS A DSCNT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, LAKE CHARLES, LA. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LIKELY SOURCE OF THE HEAT AND ODOR WAS A LIGHTING FIXTURE IN THE CEILING. CABIN LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED AND THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THE CEILING WAS COOLING OFF. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ACCOMPLISHED AT LAKE CHARLES. FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THAT THE UPPER ROTATING BEACON HAD FALLEN FROM ITS HOUSING AND FALLEN ON THE CEILING PANEL. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OF ANY KIND TO THE ACFT. THE EMER WAS TERMINATED AT APPROX AM30 LCL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.