Narrative:

Mins after takeoff, I smelled smoke. I notified the cockpit, as did the flight attendants in the rear of the aircraft. The cockpit crew could smell it too. I checked all possible sources in my area -- galley, ovens, lavatory, coffee makers. At the same time, the cockpit declared an emergency. The captain notified us (flight attendants) that we would be turning back and landing in dfw in about 3 mins. I walked through the cabin to do a safety check as the #2 flight attendant announced to the passenger that we would be going back to dfw (they could smell smoke too). By this time, the smoke had dissipated, or we became used to the smell. We landed safely and the fire department checked the aircraft for fire before we headed back to the gate. As the passenger deplaned, they told us (captain and myself), that they each smelled something burning. I assume whatever it was that was burning, burned itself out. We were given another plane and reboarded and left dfw again safely. Supplemental information from acn 414326: it almost smelled as if someone had just lit a match and then it smelled more like burnt food of some kind. It did not smell like an electrical fire, hydraulic leak, oil, or any of the usual acrid burning smells I've encountered before. The first officer later said he had seen smoke in the cockpit. Passenger all smelled the burning smell and were alarmed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPTS REGARDING SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING JUST AFTER TKOF. COCKPIT CREW SMELLED IT AS WELL. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: MINS AFTER TKOF, I SMELLED SMOKE. I NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT, AS DID THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. THE COCKPIT CREW COULD SMELL IT TOO. I CHKED ALL POSSIBLE SOURCES IN MY AREA -- GALLEY, OVENS, LAVATORY, COFFEE MAKERS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE COCKPIT DECLARED AN EMER. THE CAPT NOTIFIED US (FLT ATTENDANTS) THAT WE WOULD BE TURNING BACK AND LNDG IN DFW IN ABOUT 3 MINS. I WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN TO DO A SAFETY CHK AS THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT ANNOUNCED TO THE PAX THAT WE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO DFW (THEY COULD SMELL SMOKE TOO). BY THIS TIME, THE SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED, OR WE BECAME USED TO THE SMELL. WE LANDED SAFELY AND THE FIRE DEPT CHKED THE ACFT FOR FIRE BEFORE WE HEADED BACK TO THE GATE. AS THE PAX DEPLANED, THEY TOLD US (CAPT AND MYSELF), THAT THEY EACH SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I ASSUME WHATEVER IT WAS THAT WAS BURNING, BURNED ITSELF OUT. WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER PLANE AND REBOARDED AND LEFT DFW AGAIN SAFELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 414326: IT ALMOST SMELLED AS IF SOMEONE HAD JUST LIT A MATCH AND THEN IT SMELLED MORE LIKE BURNT FOOD OF SOME KIND. IT DID NOT SMELL LIKE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, HYD LEAK, OIL, OR ANY OF THE USUAL ACRID BURNING SMELLS I'VE ENCOUNTERED BEFORE. THE FO LATER SAID HE HAD SEEN SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. PAX ALL SMELLED THE BURNING SMELL AND WERE ALARMED.

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.