Narrative:

Prior to pushback, maintenance was called to deal with an inoperative coffee maker in aft galley. Since no actual repair was made and water lines were purged to clear air from system, no logbook entry was made either by myself or the tech. Shortly after takeoff the third flight attendant called indicating a burning odor in aft galley. The odor was confirmed by the second flight attendant. A second call was made to the flight deck indicating the odor was increasing rapidly and now passengers were expressing concern. An emergency was declared and an immediate return to ZZZ requested. Galley power and recirculation fan were turned off and 'smoke/odor/fumes' checklist was completed. The odor was decreasing with galley power and recirculation fan off. An overweight landing was accomplished at ZZZ and was uneventful. ZZZ fire department escorted aircraft to gate. No emergency evacuation was initiated. Odor was evident at gate, but much less than during climb. Evidence of electrical fire in coffee maker or vicinity was being investigated. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the coffee maker was the source of the fumes or odor and no galley circuit breakers were found tripped and only after the galley power and recirculation fan switched did the odor or fumes dissipate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 ON CLB OUT AT 8000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO A BURNING ODOR IN THE AFT GALLEY. CAUSED BY A FAILED COFFEE MAKER UNIT.

Narrative: PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, MAINT WAS CALLED TO DEAL WITH AN INOP COFFEE MAKER IN AFT GALLEY. SINCE NO ACTUAL REPAIR WAS MADE AND WATER LINES WERE PURGED TO CLEAR AIR FROM SYSTEM, NO LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE EITHER BY MYSELF OR THE TECH. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE THIRD FA CALLED INDICATING A BURNING ODOR IN AFT GALLEY. THE ODOR WAS CONFIRMED BY THE SECOND FA. A SECOND CALL WAS MADE TO THE FLT DECK INDICATING THE ODOR WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY AND NOW PASSENGERS WERE EXPRESSING CONCERN. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO ZZZ REQUESTED. GALLEY POWER AND RECIRCULATION FAN WERE TURNED OFF AND 'SMOKE/ODOR/FUMES' CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. THE ODOR WAS DECREASING WITH GALLEY POWER AND RECIRCULATION FAN OFF. AN OVERWT LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT ZZZ AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. ZZZ FIRE DEPT ESCORTED ACFT TO GATE. NO EMER EVACUATION WAS INITIATED. ODOR WAS EVIDENT AT GATE, BUT MUCH LESS THAN DURING CLB. EVIDENCE OF ELECTRICAL FIRE IN COFFEE MAKER OR VICINITY WAS BEING INVESTIGATED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE COFFEE MAKER WAS THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES OR ODOR AND NO GALLEY CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FOUND TRIPPED AND ONLY AFTER THE GALLEY POWER AND RECIRCULATION FAN SWITCHED DID THE ODOR OR FUMES DISSIPATE.

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.