Narrative:

20 mins remaining in flight. Cruising FL250 flight attendant multi-chimes cockpit and informs crew that white smoke and some heat coming from aft galley trash bin area. Flight attendant extinguished one halon fire extinguisher into trash bin area. Shortly thereafter flight attendant confirmed that the smoke and heat had dissipated and no further smoke or heat was noticed in aft galley area and situation was under control. The captain asked a company pilot riding in cockpit jump seat to take cockpit halon fire extinguisher to aft galley for any further assistance. In cockpit, galley power was turned off, 3-25a aft galley circuit breakers pulled. In addition, aft galley located circuit breakers pulled. The cockpit jump seat rider returned to cockpit and confirmed that no smoke or heat was noticed in aft galley. The captain asked an employee cabin jump seat rider to monitor the area for the remaining flight time. Approximately 15 mins after initial call to cockpit, flight attendant states to cockpit crew that trash bin area feels warm and is using water to keep area cool, at this time, cockpit crew declares emergency and lands in less than 5 mins. Aircraft taxies to gate with fire trucks to follow, since there was a doubt that the situation was contained. Passenger deplaned normally. No cabin preparation was ordered. Maintenance tentatively determined cause from overheating coffeemaker with associated steam. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft was a B737-200. He reports the problem was two overheated coffeemakers causing a lot of steam and not smoke. He also relates that maintenance replaced both coffeemakers and sent the units to the overhaul shop for evaluation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 IN CRUISE DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO SMOKE IN THE AFT GALLEY CAUSED BY OVERHEATED COFFEEMAKERS.

Narrative: 20 MINS REMAINING IN FLT. CRUISING FL250 FLT ATTENDANT MULTI-CHIMES COCKPIT AND INFORMS CREW THAT WHITE SMOKE AND SOME HEAT COMING FROM AFT GALLEY TRASH BIN AREA. FLT ATTENDANT EXTINGUISHED ONE HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER INTO TRASH BIN AREA. SHORTLY THEREAFTER FLT ATTENDANT CONFIRMED THAT THE SMOKE AND HEAT HAD DISSIPATED AND NO FURTHER SMOKE OR HEAT WAS NOTICED IN AFT GALLEY AREA AND SIT WAS UNDER CTL. THE CAPT ASKED A COMPANY PLT RIDING IN COCKPIT JUMP SEAT TO TAKE COCKPIT HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO AFT GALLEY FOR ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. IN COCKPIT, GALLEY PWR WAS TURNED OFF, 3-25A AFT GALLEY CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED. IN ADDITION, AFT GALLEY LOCATED CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED. THE COCKPIT JUMP SEAT RIDER RETURNED TO COCKPIT AND CONFIRMED THAT NO SMOKE OR HEAT WAS NOTICED IN AFT GALLEY. THE CAPT ASKED AN EMPLOYEE CABIN JUMP SEAT RIDER TO MONITOR THE AREA FOR THE REMAINING FLT TIME. APPROX 15 MINS AFTER INITIAL CALL TO COCKPIT, FLT ATTENDANT STATES TO COCKPIT CREW THAT TRASH BIN AREA FEELS WARM AND IS USING WATER TO KEEP AREA COOL, AT THIS TIME, COCKPIT CREW DECLARES EMER AND LANDS IN LESS THAN 5 MINS. ACFT TAXIES TO GATE WITH FIRE TRUCKS TO FOLLOW, SINCE THERE WAS A DOUBT THAT THE SIT WAS CONTAINED. PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY. NO CABIN PREPARATION WAS ORDERED. MAINT TENTATIVELY DETERMINED CAUSE FROM OVERHEATING COFFEEMAKER WITH ASSOCIATED STEAM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS A B737-200. HE RPTS THE PROB WAS TWO OVERHEATED COFFEEMAKERS CAUSING A LOT OF STEAM AND NOT SMOKE. HE ALSO RELATES THAT MAINT REPLACED BOTH COFFEEMAKERS AND SENT THE UNITS TO THE OVERHAUL SHOP FOR EVALUATION.

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.