Narrative:

Shortly after we started our aft forward beverage service, the fire alarm chime began sounding from the aft left side lavatory. A female passenger had just stepped out of one of the lavatories, and the #2 flight attendant and myself thought that the passenger may have smoked a cigarette. Flight attendant #2 went back to investigate, while I continued serving beverages. The female passenger appeared very agitated that I would not move the beverage cart until the #2 flight attendant returned. The alarm was turned off and flight attendant #2 returned saying that the lavatory did not smell like smoke and nothing appeared out of normal. We allowed the passenger to return to her seat and continued the service. Not more than 1 min later, the mid cabin left side lavatory fire alarm went off. Flight attendant #2 and I made eye contact and he told me to look in the cabin. My back was to the cabin and I turned around and saw a smoky haze in the cabin. At that point we rolled the cart back to the galley. I looked up to see what the #3 and #5 flight attendants were doing. By that time the cabin haze had thickened considerably. I grabbed the halon and oxygen extinguishers, and pbe's. Flight attendant #2 called the cockpit while I was doing this. He then took one of the extinguishers and moved forward through the cabin looking for the source of smoke. I stayed aft and began looking in the lavatories, and the galley with the #3 flight attendant. I then called the cockpit and relayed that I was unable to find a source in the aft area. At this point the aft lavatory signal went off again and the captain acknowledged that he heard it and hung up. Flight attendant #2 returned to the aft cabin to try and turn off the signal but neither he nor I were able to do it. We got our manuals and heard the captain say on the PA 'flight attendants take your seats.' I was told by the other flight attendants later that I made the PA for fasten seatbelts, etc, in english and spanish, but I don't remember doing this. We did not take our seats, but instead got market bags and started picking up the cabin and telling passenger to look at their safety briefing cards. By this time I had moved to the forward part of the cabin, checking seatbelts, etc. I spoke with the #1 flight attendant who relayed that they had not found a source of smoke, and that the captain had given him no information so far. I returned to the aft cabin feeling the floor every few ft not noticing any heat. Also, I knew of an air crew who were seated by the window exits. I quietly told them that we had not been informed of an evacuate/evacuation, however, should the captain initiate an evacuate/evacuation to open unobstructed exits and get out. I did the same on my way back to my jump seat with the flight crew seated in the last 2 rows of the cabin and explained that to listen to the crew's instructions if we had to evacuate/evacuation. I noticed many passenger crying and praying, including a few crew members. (Their crew was a crew of 12.) the #1 flight attendant called back and told us all that we had 10 mins, the signal was 'easy victor,' and that we did not have enough time to do the checklist. At that time, the captain came on the PA and told the passenger that we were landing in key west and for the flight attendants to take their seats. At that moment, a loud static sound came over the PA and people began to get very scared. We walked through the cabin and reassured passenger in english and spanish that we were going to be ok, to stay in their seats and listen for instructions. Prior to landing, I looked in the cabin and saw many passenger putting on their life vests. After landing, we saw emergency vehicles. Firefighters boarded the airplane asking us if anyone needed emergency assistance. #2 flight attendant stayed by the doors. I did a quick walk through the cabin and noticed a female passenger appearing to have difficulty breathing. She had taken an air sickness bag and was breathing in it. I got the medics and we moved her to first class. She mentioned she was asthmatic, taking ventalin, and it was not unusual for her to hyperventilate while under stress. The medics took over from there. We waited and deplaned by forward stairs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that cabin crew never found out the source of the smoke, and that 3 lavatories (mid and aft) had simultaneous smoke alarms go off. The cabin crew even tried to get their union to follow through. Because the captain had it listed as a diversion, and not an emergency landing, she had a hard time finding anyone in the company or the union to follow up on it. The worst part about the whole flight was the captain's lack of communication. His only conversation, was to come out of the cockpit, take one look at the smoke in the cabin, and say in front of first class passenger, 'oh *&^%!' and then go back into the cockpit. She said that she later found out that the captain was new and that the first officer was flying that leg. The captain never once explained to the cabin crew what was wrong or if they should prepare for an evacuate/evacuation. He made a public announcement for the flight attendants to take their seats, that they were landing in key west, with no forthcoming information. She informed the deadheading off-line crew to review their emergency procedures, and to help with an evacuate/evacuation, if necessary. They also told the people sitting at exits to be prepared to open the exits in an emergency. The airline ferried in an airplane and they went on to cancun with same pilots and passenger. Even then, the captain wouldn't tell them anything. She said she heard that the airplane was flown out the next day, and the same thing happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B757, MIA-CUN, DIVERT TO KEY WEST AT BOCA CHICA NAS, SMOKE IN CABIN, 3 LAVATORY SMOKE ALARMS ACTIVATED.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER WE STARTED OUR AFT FORWARD BEVERAGE SVC, THE FIRE ALARM CHIME BEGAN SOUNDING FROM THE AFT L SIDE LAVATORY. A FEMALE PAX HAD JUST STEPPED OUT OF ONE OF THE LAVATORIES, AND THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND MYSELF THOUGHT THAT THE PAX MAY HAVE SMOKED A CIGARETTE. FLT ATTENDANT #2 WENT BACK TO INVESTIGATE, WHILE I CONTINUED SERVING BEVERAGES. THE FEMALE PAX APPEARED VERY AGITATED THAT I WOULD NOT MOVE THE BEVERAGE CART UNTIL THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT RETURNED. THE ALARM WAS TURNED OFF AND FLT ATTENDANT #2 RETURNED SAYING THAT THE LAVATORY DID NOT SMELL LIKE SMOKE AND NOTHING APPEARED OUT OF NORMAL. WE ALLOWED THE PAX TO RETURN TO HER SEAT AND CONTINUED THE SVC. NOT MORE THAN 1 MIN LATER, THE MID CABIN L SIDE LAVATORY FIRE ALARM WENT OFF. FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I MADE EYE CONTACT AND HE TOLD ME TO LOOK IN THE CABIN. MY BACK WAS TO THE CABIN AND I TURNED AROUND AND SAW A SMOKY HAZE IN THE CABIN. AT THAT POINT WE ROLLED THE CART BACK TO THE GALLEY. I LOOKED UP TO SEE WHAT THE #3 AND #5 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE DOING. BY THAT TIME THE CABIN HAZE HAD THICKENED CONSIDERABLY. I GRABBED THE HALON AND OXYGEN EXTINGUISHERS, AND PBE'S. FLT ATTENDANT #2 CALLED THE COCKPIT WHILE I WAS DOING THIS. HE THEN TOOK ONE OF THE EXTINGUISHERS AND MOVED FORWARD THROUGH THE CABIN LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE OF SMOKE. I STAYED AFT AND BEGAN LOOKING IN THE LAVATORIES, AND THE GALLEY WITH THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT. I THEN CALLED THE COCKPIT AND RELAYED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO FIND A SOURCE IN THE AFT AREA. AT THIS POINT THE AFT LAVATORY SIGNAL WENT OFF AGAIN AND THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HEARD IT AND HUNG UP. FLT ATTENDANT #2 RETURNED TO THE AFT CABIN TO TRY AND TURN OFF THE SIGNAL BUT NEITHER HE NOR I WERE ABLE TO DO IT. WE GOT OUR MANUALS AND HEARD THE CAPT SAY ON THE PA 'FLT ATTENDANTS TAKE YOUR SEATS.' I WAS TOLD BY THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS LATER THAT I MADE THE PA FOR FASTEN SEATBELTS, ETC, IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER DOING THIS. WE DID NOT TAKE OUR SEATS, BUT INSTEAD GOT MARKET BAGS AND STARTED PICKING UP THE CABIN AND TELLING PAX TO LOOK AT THEIR SAFETY BRIEFING CARDS. BY THIS TIME I HAD MOVED TO THE FORWARD PART OF THE CABIN, CHKING SEATBELTS, ETC. I SPOKE WITH THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WHO RELAYED THAT THEY HAD NOT FOUND A SOURCE OF SMOKE, AND THAT THE CAPT HAD GIVEN HIM NO INFO SO FAR. I RETURNED TO THE AFT CABIN FEELING THE FLOOR EVERY FEW FT NOT NOTICING ANY HEAT. ALSO, I KNEW OF AN AIR CREW WHO WERE SEATED BY THE WINDOW EXITS. I QUIETLY TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF AN EVAC, HOWEVER, SHOULD THE CAPT INITIATE AN EVAC TO OPEN UNOBSTRUCTED EXITS AND GET OUT. I DID THE SAME ON MY WAY BACK TO MY JUMP SEAT WITH THE FLC SEATED IN THE LAST 2 ROWS OF THE CABIN AND EXPLAINED THAT TO LISTEN TO THE CREW'S INSTRUCTIONS IF WE HAD TO EVAC. I NOTICED MANY PAX CRYING AND PRAYING, INCLUDING A FEW CREW MEMBERS. (THEIR CREW WAS A CREW OF 12.) THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED BACK AND TOLD US ALL THAT WE HAD 10 MINS, THE SIGNAL WAS 'EASY VICTOR,' AND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE CHKLIST. AT THAT TIME, THE CAPT CAME ON THE PA AND TOLD THE PAX THAT WE WERE LNDG IN KEY WEST AND FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. AT THAT MOMENT, A LOUD STATIC SOUND CAME OVER THE PA AND PEOPLE BEGAN TO GET VERY SCARED. WE WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN AND REASSURED PAX IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE OK, TO STAY IN THEIR SEATS AND LISTEN FOR INSTRUCTIONS. PRIOR TO LNDG, I LOOKED IN THE CABIN AND SAW MANY PAX PUTTING ON THEIR LIFE VESTS. AFTER LNDG, WE SAW EMER VEHICLES. FIREFIGHTERS BOARDED THE AIRPLANE ASKING US IF ANYONE NEEDED EMER ASSISTANCE. #2 FLT ATTENDANT STAYED BY THE DOORS. I DID A QUICK WALK THROUGH THE CABIN AND NOTICED A FEMALE PAX APPEARING TO HAVE DIFFICULTY BREATHING. SHE HAD TAKEN AN AIR SICKNESS BAG AND WAS BREATHING IN IT. I GOT THE MEDICS AND WE MOVED HER TO FIRST CLASS. SHE MENTIONED SHE WAS ASTHMATIC, TAKING VENTALIN, AND IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR HER TO HYPERVENTILATE WHILE UNDER STRESS. THE MEDICS TOOK OVER FROM THERE. WE WAITED AND DEPLANED BY FORWARD STAIRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT CABIN CREW NEVER FOUND OUT THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE, AND THAT 3 LAVATORIES (MID AND AFT) HAD SIMULTANEOUS SMOKE ALARMS GO OFF. THE CABIN CREW EVEN TRIED TO GET THEIR UNION TO FOLLOW THROUGH. BECAUSE THE CAPT HAD IT LISTED AS A DIVERSION, AND NOT AN EMER LNDG, SHE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING ANYONE IN THE COMPANY OR THE UNION TO FOLLOW UP ON IT. THE WORST PART ABOUT THE WHOLE FLT WAS THE CAPT'S LACK OF COM. HIS ONLY CONVERSATION, WAS TO COME OUT OF THE COCKPIT, TAKE ONE LOOK AT THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN, AND SAY IN FRONT OF FIRST CLASS PAX, 'OH *&^%!' AND THEN GO BACK INTO THE COCKPIT. SHE SAID THAT SHE LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE CAPT WAS NEW AND THAT THE FO WAS FLYING THAT LEG. THE CAPT NEVER ONCE EXPLAINED TO THE CABIN CREW WHAT WAS WRONG OR IF THEY SHOULD PREPARE FOR AN EVAC. HE MADE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS, THAT THEY WERE LNDG IN KEY WEST, WITH NO FORTHCOMING INFO. SHE INFORMED THE DEADHEADING OFF-LINE CREW TO REVIEW THEIR EMER PROCS, AND TO HELP WITH AN EVAC, IF NECESSARY. THEY ALSO TOLD THE PEOPLE SITTING AT EXITS TO BE PREPARED TO OPEN THE EXITS IN AN EMER. THE AIRLINE FERRIED IN AN AIRPLANE AND THEY WENT ON TO CANCUN WITH SAME PLTS AND PAX. EVEN THEN, THE CAPT WOULDN'T TELL THEM ANYTHING. SHE SAID SHE HEARD THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN OUT THE NEXT DAY, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED.

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.