Narrative:

Approximately 2 mins into the flight, smoke (white in color) started billowing out of the passenger service unit at the bulkhead in the main cabin from both sides. It smelled to me like electrical from an oven. I examined the oven in the G3 galley and it wasn't coming from there. The #1 flight attendant notified the captain and all 4 flight attendants responded to his questions. We kept the passenger calm and buckled in their seats. The captain informed all on the PA that it would be a few short mins till landing back at dfw. The smoke continued. We landed safely within 8 mins of the captain declaring an emergency and all was well. The smoke dissipated upon landing when the captain opened the vents. We proceeded to the gate and deplaned through the jetbridge in an orderly fashion. We were all shaken yet safe. The employee emergency service greeted us on the plane for a debrief. We waited for another piece of equipment to arrive and proceeded to reboard our passenger and continue the final leg of the trip. Once arriving at ewr, another new york based flight supervisor met us and supported our needs and informed us of the programs available for us. Our captain was superb and the support staff was wonderful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that when the captain was informed of the smoke, he immediately told the crew to remain seated, and he wanted the cabin crew to 'stay on the intercom' in order to keep him informed of the quality and quantity of smoke in the cabin and if the passenger were starting to choke on it. He explained that they couldn't come out of the cockpit to observe the smoke, in case the smoke would infiltrate the cockpit. The plane was taken OTS and replaced by another plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, DFW-EWR, SMOKE IN CABIN. EMER DECLARED. RETURN TO DFW. PLANE TAKEN OTS.

Narrative: APPROX 2 MINS INTO THE FLT, SMOKE (WHITE IN COLOR) STARTED BILLOWING OUT OF THE PAX SVC UNIT AT THE BULKHEAD IN THE MAIN CABIN FROM BOTH SIDES. IT SMELLED TO ME LIKE ELECTRICAL FROM AN OVEN. I EXAMINED THE OVEN IN THE G3 GALLEY AND IT WASN'T COMING FROM THERE. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED THE CAPT AND ALL 4 FLT ATTENDANTS RESPONDED TO HIS QUESTIONS. WE KEPT THE PAX CALM AND BUCKLED IN THEIR SEATS. THE CAPT INFORMED ALL ON THE PA THAT IT WOULD BE A FEW SHORT MINS TILL LNDG BACK AT DFW. THE SMOKE CONTINUED. WE LANDED SAFELY WITHIN 8 MINS OF THE CAPT DECLARING AN EMER AND ALL WAS WELL. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED UPON LNDG WHEN THE CAPT OPENED THE VENTS. WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE AND DEPLANED THROUGH THE JETBRIDGE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. WE WERE ALL SHAKEN YET SAFE. THE EMPLOYEE EMER SVC GREETED US ON THE PLANE FOR A DEBRIEF. WE WAITED FOR ANOTHER PIECE OF EQUIP TO ARRIVE AND PROCEEDED TO REBOARD OUR PAX AND CONTINUE THE FINAL LEG OF THE TRIP. ONCE ARRIVING AT EWR, ANOTHER NEW YORK BASED FLT SUPVR MET US AND SUPPORTED OUR NEEDS AND INFORMED US OF THE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR US. OUR CAPT WAS SUPERB AND THE SUPPORT STAFF WAS WONDERFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN THE CAPT WAS INFORMED OF THE SMOKE, HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE CREW TO REMAIN SEATED, AND HE WANTED THE CABIN CREW TO 'STAY ON THE INTERCOM' IN ORDER TO KEEP HIM INFORMED OF THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND IF THE PAX WERE STARTING TO CHOKE ON IT. HE EXPLAINED THAT THEY COULDN'T COME OUT OF THE COCKPIT TO OBSERVE THE SMOKE, IN CASE THE SMOKE WOULD INFILTRATE THE COCKPIT. THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS AND REPLACED BY ANOTHER PLANE.

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.