Narrative:

Developed a sore throat feeling after takeoff. Thought it was strange, as I knew I felt well. About 1 hour into flight, every time I was at 1R, coming through the cabin under curtain, I smelled a bad smell. It reminded me of an electrical wiring meltdown I had experienced several yrs ago. Asked other flight attendants to verify smell, turned off ovens, coffee makers in case they were contributing to the odor or cause. Went to the cockpit to get a pilot to smell the odor. First officer came out, immediately got captain. Captain came, ordered search of area. I confirmed we already carefully checked lavatory at 1R, turned off in-flight entertainment system, all reading lights, auxiliary system, pwrports, etc. Captain ordered me to get the international officer from his break and have the both of us exclusively stay on the situation. International officer and first officer physically checked the avionics compartment, ceiling compartment, overhead compartments -- anything that could be a factor. Odor kept getting stronger. Other flight attendants came to check out the smell. I requested all flight attendants stay in their own cabins to 1) contain odor, 2) determine if odor was stronger, 3) determine if odor was carrying to other cabins. By this time about 10-15 mins had elapsed. Passenger were beginning to smell odor and flight attendants reported smelling it in the main cabin. Captain made the decision that as a source could not be located we could not continue on to ord and made the decision to land at snn. Once the first officer had come to confirm odor, problem, I called all flight attendants, asked where they were in their service, informed them something irregular was going on and told them not to begin the meal service, to secure all carts/galleys for the time being, stand by for further information. When the captain informed me of his decision to land, I informed the cabin crew and asked them to prepare their cabins, obtain their safety manuals and stand by for an emergency situation. Immediately, I was asked the test question by the flight attendants. I told them that full information had not been obtained yet as the captain was calling into snn at that moment, I just wanted them informed, ready and waiting to go into their checklist. Moments later, I was able to obtain the information. We accomplished our checklist in about 15-20 mins and spent the remainder of the flight talking to and reassuring passenger. At all times I was comfortable with the chain of events. I felt captain made the best, fastest decision with the information he had. I felt comfortable with our flight attendant emergency procedure and enormous respect for captain and the pilot safety procedures. The captain kept me informed and we communicated with one another at all times. We had an uneventful landing (hooray!) and the firemen immediately boarded our aircraft upon landing. No evidence of fire was found, maintenance came on and air carrier flew in one of our own maintenance men. I was extremely proud of how the cabin crew and cockpit crew performed. It appeared a successful 'textbook' emergency. Air carrier had the tools (emergency procedures) in place for us to perform our tasks easily and efficiently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT RPT ON FUMES IN CABIN THAT REQUIRED A DIVERSION TO EINN, FO.

Narrative: DEVELOPED A SORE THROAT FEELING AFTER TKOF. THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE, AS I KNEW I FELT WELL. ABOUT 1 HR INTO FLT, EVERY TIME I WAS AT 1R, COMING THROUGH THE CABIN UNDER CURTAIN, I SMELLED A BAD SMELL. IT REMINDED ME OF AN ELECTRICAL WIRING MELTDOWN I HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL YRS AGO. ASKED OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS TO VERIFY SMELL, TURNED OFF OVENS, COFFEE MAKERS IN CASE THEY WERE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ODOR OR CAUSE. WENT TO THE COCKPIT TO GET A PLT TO SMELL THE ODOR. FO CAME OUT, IMMEDIATELY GOT CAPT. CAPT CAME, ORDERED SEARCH OF AREA. I CONFIRMED WE ALREADY CAREFULLY CHKED LAVATORY AT 1R, TURNED OFF INFLT ENTERTAINMENT SYS, ALL READING LIGHTS, AUX SYS, PWRPORTS, ETC. CAPT ORDERED ME TO GET THE INTL OFFICER FROM HIS BREAK AND HAVE THE BOTH OF US EXCLUSIVELY STAY ON THE SIT. INTL OFFICER AND FO PHYSICALLY CHKED THE AVIONICS COMPARTMENT, CEILING COMPARTMENT, OVERHEAD COMPARTMENTS -- ANYTHING THAT COULD BE A FACTOR. ODOR KEPT GETTING STRONGER. OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO CHK OUT THE SMELL. I REQUESTED ALL FLT ATTENDANTS STAY IN THEIR OWN CABINS TO 1) CONTAIN ODOR, 2) DETERMINE IF ODOR WAS STRONGER, 3) DETERMINE IF ODOR WAS CARRYING TO OTHER CABINS. BY THIS TIME ABOUT 10-15 MINS HAD ELAPSED. PAX WERE BEGINNING TO SMELL ODOR AND FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED SMELLING IT IN THE MAIN CABIN. CAPT MADE THE DECISION THAT AS A SOURCE COULD NOT BE LOCATED WE COULD NOT CONTINUE ON TO ORD AND MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AT SNN. ONCE THE FO HAD COME TO CONFIRM ODOR, PROB, I CALLED ALL FLT ATTENDANTS, ASKED WHERE THEY WERE IN THEIR SVC, INFORMED THEM SOMETHING IRREGULAR WAS GOING ON AND TOLD THEM NOT TO BEGIN THE MEAL SVC, TO SECURE ALL CARTS/GALLEYS FOR THE TIME BEING, STAND BY FOR FURTHER INFO. WHEN THE CAPT INFORMED ME OF HIS DECISION TO LAND, I INFORMED THE CABIN CREW AND ASKED THEM TO PREPARE THEIR CABINS, OBTAIN THEIR SAFETY MANUALS AND STAND BY FOR AN EMER SIT. IMMEDIATELY, I WAS ASKED THE TEST QUESTION BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I TOLD THEM THAT FULL INFO HAD NOT BEEN OBTAINED YET AS THE CAPT WAS CALLING INTO SNN AT THAT MOMENT, I JUST WANTED THEM INFORMED, READY AND WAITING TO GO INTO THEIR CHKLIST. MOMENTS LATER, I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE INFO. WE ACCOMPLISHED OUR CHKLIST IN ABOUT 15-20 MINS AND SPENT THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT TALKING TO AND REASSURING PAX. AT ALL TIMES I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. I FELT CAPT MADE THE BEST, FASTEST DECISION WITH THE INFO HE HAD. I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH OUR FLT ATTENDANT EMER PROC AND ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR CAPT AND THE PLT SAFETY PROCS. THE CAPT KEPT ME INFORMED AND WE COMMUNICATED WITH ONE ANOTHER AT ALL TIMES. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG (HOORAY!) AND THE FIREMEN IMMEDIATELY BOARDED OUR ACFT UPON LNDG. NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE WAS FOUND, MAINT CAME ON AND ACR FLEW IN ONE OF OUR OWN MAINT MEN. I WAS EXTREMELY PROUD OF HOW THE CABIN CREW AND COCKPIT CREW PERFORMED. IT APPEARED A SUCCESSFUL 'TEXTBOOK' EMER. ACR HAD THE TOOLS (EMER PROCS) IN PLACE FOR US TO PERFORM OUR TASKS EASILY AND EFFICIENTLY.

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.