B777-200 flight attendant heard a cabin smoke alarm sounding, and detected an electrical smell.

Attributes
ACN	579233
Time
Date	200304
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny.artcc
State Reference	NY
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 7.5 flight attendant time total : 9 flight attendant time type : 60
ASRS Report	579233
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event : passenger illness other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cabin smoke alarm other other : 1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Smoke alarm went off. Controller panel over jumpseat 4L indicated smoke detected in mid cabin. Very strong electrical smoke odor came through cabin. #4 flight attendant on break in bunks -- main deck crew rest, nothing observed there. Before 1 min passed, smell dissipated and alarm stopped. Pilots had stopped recirculating air right before alarm went off, because of sick passenger. After alarm, they turned it back on again. Flight attendant turned off power ports and complete entertainment system. Since these 3 things occurred at the same time and alarm went off, we were unsure which stopped the electrical problem. As precaution, ovens were not used for remainder of flight. The speed at which such a strong electrical smoke odor permeated the cabin was surprising to me, and I was very thankful for the speed at which it dissipated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 FLT ATTENDANT HEARD A CABIN SMOKE ALARM SOUNDING, AND DETECTED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL.

Narrative: SMOKE ALARM WENT OFF. CTLR PANEL OVER JUMPSEAT 4L INDICATED SMOKE DETECTED IN MID CABIN. VERY STRONG ELECTRICAL SMOKE ODOR CAME THROUGH CABIN. #4 FLT ATTENDANT ON BREAK IN BUNKS -- MAIN DECK CREW REST, NOTHING OBSERVED THERE. BEFORE 1 MIN PASSED, SMELL DISSIPATED AND ALARM STOPPED. PLTS HAD STOPPED RECIRCULATING AIR RIGHT BEFORE ALARM WENT OFF, BECAUSE OF SICK PAX. AFTER ALARM, THEY TURNED IT BACK ON AGAIN. FLT ATTENDANT TURNED OFF PWR PORTS AND COMPLETE ENTERTAINMENT SYS. SINCE THESE 3 THINGS OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME AND ALARM WENT OFF, WE WERE UNSURE WHICH STOPPED THE ELECTRICAL PROB. AS PRECAUTION, OVENS WERE NOT USED FOR REMAINDER OF FLT. THE SPD AT WHICH SUCH A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMOKE ODOR PERMEATED THE CABIN WAS SURPRISING TO ME, AND I WAS VERY THANKFUL FOR THE SPD AT WHICH IT DISSIPATED.

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.