Narrative:

En route to slc air carrier xyz in the area of the onl VOR (ZDV), the prerecorded passenger announcement system overheated and started to smoke. An emergency was declared and an airport diversion was begun. The copilot was able to remove the plastic cover but could not unhook the cannon plug. A non-revenue mechanic came forward and was able to unhook the whole system by removing power. The smoke and heat stopped so we canceled the emergency. We continued on to slc without further problems. The passenger were not aware of the short divert. There needs to be an easier way for the crews to unhook elect from this system. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised company had installed a plastic panel over the system to prevent private recordings to be inserted. As a result the first officer had no way of getting to the cannon plug. The mechanic had a prying tool that permitted him to pry open the plastic cover and pull the cannon plug from the unit. The unit had been operating from the time of activation prior to takeoff. No separate circuit breaker in the cockpit for the system. Smoke cleared from the cabin rapidly. System was found to be badly burned on arrival at slc. Captain had received no training on this equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ENRTE SLC NEAR ONL ENCOUNTERED SMOKE IN THE CABIN FROM THE PAX ANNOUNCE SYS. FO UNABLE TO PULL CANNON PLUG ACCOUNT PLASTIC COVER. MECH ON BOARD WAS ABLE TO PRY OFF COVER AND PULL PLUG. HAD DECLARED EMER AND CANCELED, PROCEEDED TO DEST SLC.

Narrative: ENRTE TO SLC ACR XYZ IN THE AREA OF THE ONL VOR (ZDV), THE PRERECORDED PAX ANNOUNCEMENT SYS OVERHEATED AND STARTED TO SMOKE. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN ARPT DIVERSION WAS BEGUN. THE COPLT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC COVER BUT COULD NOT UNHOOK THE CANNON PLUG. A NON-REVENUE MECH CAME FORWARD AND WAS ABLE TO UNHOOK THE WHOLE SYS BY REMOVING PWR. THE SMOKE AND HEAT STOPPED SO WE CANCELED THE EMER. WE CONTINUED ON TO SLC WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. THE PAX WERE NOT AWARE OF THE SHORT DIVERT. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EASIER WAY FOR THE CREWS TO UNHOOK ELECT FROM THIS SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED COMPANY HAD INSTALLED A PLASTIC PANEL OVER THE SYS TO PREVENT PRIVATE RECORDINGS TO BE INSERTED. AS A RESULT THE FO HAD NO WAY OF GETTING TO THE CANNON PLUG. THE MECH HAD A PRYING TOOL THAT PERMITTED HIM TO PRY OPEN THE PLASTIC COVER AND PULL THE CANNON PLUG FROM THE UNIT. THE UNIT HAD BEEN OPERATING FROM THE TIME OF ACTIVATION PRIOR TO TKOF. NO SEPARATE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE COCKPIT FOR THE SYS. SMOKE CLRED FROM THE CABIN RAPIDLY. SYS WAS FOUND TO BE BADLY BURNED ON ARR AT SLC. CAPT HAD RECEIVED NO TRAINING ON THIS EQUIP.

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.