Narrative:

Electrical smoke/fumes in cabin. We were directly over elp when the #1 flight attendant called and told us that there was a strong smell of something burning in the middle of the cabin. I donned my oxygen mask and sent the first officer back to check. He returned and said that the odor was quite strong and smelled like an electrical fire and burning rubber. He recommended that we land. I declared an emergency and requested an immediate turn for elp, made a PA to the passenger and called elp operations and requested that they inform dispatch. I completed the cabin fire/smoke checklist and all other normal checklists while first officer descended for the landing at elp. The #1 flight attendant told me during the descent that the smell seemed to decrease some. A normal landing was made at elp. A subsequent check by maintenance could find nothing definite but we all guessed that it was most likely the entertainment system. The entertainment system was de-energized and we were dispatched to continue to dfw. A great job was done by the flight attendants in keeping us informed and also a great job by first officer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain sent the first officer to investigate the odor. He was unable to locate the source. He reported that it smelled like electrical wiring, combined with burning rubber. After landing, maintenance investigated all overhead tv system as well as all other cabin electrical items. Nothing was found. The entertainment system was MEL'ed inoperative and the flight continued to its destination. After leaving the aircraft, the crew does not know what happened to the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW HAD AN ELECTRICAL BURNING RUBBER SMELL IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: ELECTRICAL SMOKE/FUMES IN CABIN. WE WERE DIRECTLY OVER ELP WHEN THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND TOLD US THAT THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CABIN. I DONNED MY OXYGEN MASK AND SENT THE FO BACK TO CHK. HE RETURNED AND SAID THAT THE ODOR WAS QUITE STRONG AND SMELLED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND BURNING RUBBER. HE RECOMMENDED THAT WE LAND. I DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN FOR ELP, MADE A PA TO THE PAX AND CALLED ELP OPS AND REQUESTED THAT THEY INFORM DISPATCH. I COMPLETED THE CABIN FIRE/SMOKE CHKLIST AND ALL OTHER NORMAL CHKLISTS WHILE FO DSNDED FOR THE LNDG AT ELP. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME DURING THE DSCNT THAT THE SMELL SEEMED TO DECREASE SOME. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AT ELP. A SUBSEQUENT CHK BY MAINT COULD FIND NOTHING DEFINITE BUT WE ALL GUESSED THAT IT WAS MOST LIKELY THE ENTERTAINMENT SYS. THE ENTERTAINMENT SYS WAS DE-ENERGIZED AND WE WERE DISPATCHED TO CONTINUE TO DFW. A GREAT JOB WAS DONE BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN KEEPING US INFORMED AND ALSO A GREAT JOB BY FO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT SENT THE FO TO INVESTIGATE THE ODOR. HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE. HE RPTED THAT IT SMELLED LIKE ELECTRICAL WIRING, COMBINED WITH BURNING RUBBER. AFTER LNDG, MAINT INVESTIGATED ALL OVERHEAD TV SYS AS WELL AS ALL OTHER CABIN ELECTRICAL ITEMS. NOTHING WAS FOUND. THE ENTERTAINMENT SYS WAS MEL'ED INOP AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO ITS DEST. AFTER LEAVING THE ACFT, THE CREW DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ACFT.

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.