Narrative:

There was a very strong smell of electrical burning (as in household appliances burning out -- a wire-like odor) where I was in business class (mid) galley and cabin. The business and first class cabins were filled with hazy smoke. Although it wasn't as apparent in coach, the coach passenger were the most concerned and preoccupied -- worried about having enough oxygen to breathe. Captain X explained that they would go through the electrical checklist and then report what they had found. They shut down various electrical system. We were over the middle of the atlantic, which was of concern to the crew and passenger. The captain had pinpointed the AC/dc converter as the possible culprit. He informed us that we would divert to goose bay to be on the safe side, which relieved crew members who feared a fire on board. The captain handled the whole situation extremely professionally and diplomatically, and even in goose bay, attended to the passenger personally to reassure them. This is a man you can feel safe with and we all, as a group, concurred. Even after the mechanics were sent up to repair/replace converter, the aircraft had a heavy smell of burnt-out electrical apparatus permeating it. The purser, ms X, was also extremely effective in communicating with the cockpit and crew members and leading the effort in a calm, organized manner. This was an intense experience, handled in a highly professional, articulate, and confident manner, and for this I am grateful and indebted to captain X and the crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B767-300, LHR-JFK. ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL, HAZE IN CABIN. DIVERT TO GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, FOR MAINT. PAX SCARED, CAPT CALMED THEM.

Narrative: THERE WAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING (AS IN HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES BURNING OUT -- A WIRE-LIKE ODOR) WHERE I WAS IN BUSINESS CLASS (MID) GALLEY AND CABIN. THE BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS CABINS WERE FILLED WITH HAZY SMOKE. ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T AS APPARENT IN COACH, THE COACH PAX WERE THE MOST CONCERNED AND PREOCCUPIED -- WORRIED ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH OXYGEN TO BREATHE. CAPT X EXPLAINED THAT THEY WOULD GO THROUGH THE ELECTRICAL CHKLIST AND THEN RPT WHAT THEY HAD FOUND. THEY SHUT DOWN VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYS. WE WERE OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC, WHICH WAS OF CONCERN TO THE CREW AND PAX. THE CAPT HAD PINPOINTED THE AC/DC CONVERTER AS THE POSSIBLE CULPRIT. HE INFORMED US THAT WE WOULD DIVERT TO GOOSE BAY TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, WHICH RELIEVED CREW MEMBERS WHO FEARED A FIRE ON BOARD. THE CAPT HANDLED THE WHOLE SIT EXTREMELY PROFESSIONALLY AND DIPLOMATICALLY, AND EVEN IN GOOSE BAY, ATTENDED TO THE PAX PERSONALLY TO REASSURE THEM. THIS IS A MAN YOU CAN FEEL SAFE WITH AND WE ALL, AS A GROUP, CONCURRED. EVEN AFTER THE MECHS WERE SENT UP TO REPAIR/REPLACE CONVERTER, THE ACFT HAD A HVY SMELL OF BURNT-OUT ELECTRICAL APPARATUS PERMEATING IT. THE PURSER, MS X, WAS ALSO EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE COCKPIT AND CREW MEMBERS AND LEADING THE EFFORT IN A CALM, ORGANIZED MANNER. THIS WAS AN INTENSE EXPERIENCE, HANDLED IN A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL, ARTICULATE, AND CONFIDENT MANNER, AND FOR THIS I AM GRATEFUL AND INDEBTED TO CAPT X AND THE CREW.

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.