A B767 captain, on the lax loop 2 SID, reported that a burning smell was detected by the flight atte...

Attributes
ACN	471040
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : loop 2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	741040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Left los angeles with everything normal. Going through 10000 ft, #1 flight attendant came to cockpit and said that there was an electrical smell. We continued in a slow climb on the departure. The smell seemed to dissipate. I asked the #1 flight attendant to take another walk through the cabin and asked the other flight attendants if they smelled anything. They then had a recurrence of the odor of burning plastic or electrical smell. In the cockpit, we never had any odor. I got calls from all 3 sections of the cabin. At FL180, I informed the flight attendants that we would return to lax and told them we would be on the ground in about 7 or 8 mins. We requested a right turn, direct to return to the field. We were given 2 small vectors back to the field, on nearly a direct routing. We flew 250 KTS to the marker, configured the aircraft for landing, and landed without incident. Went directly to the gate where we were met by maintenance. Debriefed the occurrence with maintenance and gave them the airplane with no desire to fly it ourselves. Flight canceled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 CAPT, ON THE LAX LOOP 2 SID, RPTED THAT A BURNING SMELL WAS DETECTED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT AND A RETURN WAS MADE TO LAX.

Narrative: LEFT LOS ANGELES WITH EVERYTHING NORMAL. GOING THROUGH 10000 FT, #1 FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO COCKPIT AND SAID THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. WE CONTINUED IN A SLOW CLB ON THE DEP. THE SMELL SEEMED TO DISSIPATE. I ASKED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO TAKE ANOTHER WALK THROUGH THE CABIN AND ASKED THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY SMELLED ANYTHING. THEY THEN HAD A RECURRENCE OF THE ODOR OF BURNING PLASTIC OR ELECTRICAL SMELL. IN THE COCKPIT, WE NEVER HAD ANY ODOR. I GOT CALLS FROM ALL 3 SECTIONS OF THE CABIN. AT FL180, I INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE WOULD RETURN TO LAX AND TOLD THEM WE WOULD BE ON THE GND IN ABOUT 7 OR 8 MINS. WE REQUESTED A R TURN, DIRECT TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. WE WERE GIVEN 2 SMALL VECTORS BACK TO THE FIELD, ON NEARLY A DIRECT ROUTING. WE FLEW 250 KTS TO THE MARKER, CONFIGURED THE ACFT FOR LNDG, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WENT DIRECTLY TO THE GATE WHERE WE WERE MET BY MAINT. DEBRIEFED THE OCCURRENCE WITH MAINT AND GAVE THEM THE AIRPLANE WITH NO DESIRE TO FLY IT OURSELVES. FLT CANCELED.

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.

A B767 captain, on the lax loop 2 SID, reported that a burning smell was detected by the flight attendant and a return was made to lax.