A B767-200 in cruise at FL370 declared an emergency and diverted due to electrical burning fumes in the passenger cabin. Fumes caused by hand held in-flight sales computer.

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Attributes
ACN	599060
Time
Date	200311
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc artcc : egpx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	599060
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : person 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Company Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Reported electrical fire in aft galley. Started emergency descent into ZZZ. During descent found source was a handheld computer used for in-flight sales. The printer had jammed causing the unit to burn from the inside. Unit was turned off, fire quit. The unit was isolated in the oven and flight was continued. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this is a hand held battery powered computer used by the cabin attendants when selling passenger food and drinks for recording sales and issuing receipts. The reporter said the printer had jammed and started to burn inside the unit. The reporter stated the major problem was finding the source of the electrical fumes as there was no visible smoke and the cabin attendants using the two devices were moving around. The reporter said the devices are boarded by the food contractors and are not carrier owned. The reporter stated this is the second report of a device malfunction causing electrical fumes on this carrier.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 IN CRUISE AT FL370 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO ELECTRICAL BURNING FUMES IN THE PAX CABIN. FUMES CAUSED BY HAND HELD IN-FLT SALES COMPUTER.

Narrative: RPTED ELECTRICAL FIRE IN AFT GALLEY. STARTED EMER DESCENT INTO ZZZ. DURING DESCENT FOUND SOURCE WAS A HANDHELD COMPUTER USED FOR IN-FLT SALES. THE PRINTER HAD JAMMED CAUSING THE UNIT TO BURN FROM THE INSIDE. UNIT WAS TURNED OFF, FIRE QUIT. THE UNIT WAS ISOLATED IN THE OVEN AND FLT WAS CONTINUED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS IS A HAND HELD BATTERY POWERED COMPUTER USED BY THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WHEN SELLING PAX FOOD AND DRINKS FOR RECORDING SALES AND ISSUING RECEIPTS. THE RPTR SAID THE PRINTER HAD JAMMED AND STARTED TO BURN INSIDE THE UNIT. THE RPTR STATED THE MAJOR PROB WAS FINDING THE SOURCE OF THE ELECTRICAL FUMES AS THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SMOKE AND THE CABIN ATTENDANTS USING THE TWO DEVICES WERE MOVING AROUND. THE RPTR SAID THE DEVICES ARE BOARDED BY THE FOOD CONTRACTORS AND ARE NOT CARRIER OWNED. THE RPTR STATED THIS IS THE SECOND RPT OF A DEVICE MALFUNCTION CAUSING ELECTRICAL FUMES ON THIS CARRIER.

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.