Narrative:

At FL330, en route to iad from mia, flight attendants notified cockpit of odor in cabin resembling electrical smell. All indications were normal. A few mins later, they then said they saw haze or mist in the cabin. We smelled nothing in the cockpit and saw no smoke. All indications were normal. We completed all required irregular checklists, but still there was an electrical odor and a little haze. The captain called dispatch and maintenance and together we determined gso was the nearest suitable field at about 80 mi distant at this point. I flew and handled ATC and began a controled descent to gso and we declared an emergency with ATC. The flight attendants did a cabin advisory. Completing all normal checklists, I allowed the airspeed to remain above 250 KTS below 10000 ft to expedite the arrival and minimize time in the air as the smell was still present and we had an unknown source. At approximately 4000 ft, I began slowing to configure for the visual approach into greensboro. The landing was uneventful and emergency vehicles followed us to the gate where the passenger deplaned normally. The odor was still present from an unknown source as the fire personnel came onto the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 628920: the purser called the flight deck and said that there were fumes in the cabin like something was burning. I asked her to try and determine the cause. A few mins later, she called again and said there was now a haze in the cabin and expressed a deep concern about safety. I asked the copilot to fly the aircraft and take the ATC radios. We declared an emergency and coordinated a diversion to gso. I contacted our dispatch along with maintenance and determined that it was appropriate to land at gso as soon as possible. I then instructed the purser to conduct a 'cabin advisory' and that she had about 15 mins to touchdown. All appropriate checklists were completed. The arrival into gso was normal without any further problems. The emergency equipment followed the aircraft to the gate, and the aircraft was turned over to the appropriate auths.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLT CREW RPTED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETECT AN ODOR THAT WAS RPTED TO THEM BY THE CABIN CREW DURING A FLT FROM IAD TO MIA. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE FLT DIVERTED TO GSO.

Narrative: AT FL330, ENRTE TO IAD FROM MIA, FLT ATTENDANTS NOTIFIED COCKPIT OF ODOR IN CABIN RESEMBLING ELECTRICAL SMELL. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. A FEW MINS LATER, THEY THEN SAID THEY SAW HAZE OR MIST IN THE CABIN. WE SMELLED NOTHING IN THE COCKPIT AND SAW NO SMOKE. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. WE COMPLETED ALL REQUIRED IRREGULAR CHKLISTS, BUT STILL THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL ODOR AND A LITTLE HAZE. THE CAPT CALLED DISPATCH AND MAINT AND TOGETHER WE DETERMINED GSO WAS THE NEAREST SUITABLE FIELD AT ABOUT 80 MI DISTANT AT THIS POINT. I FLEW AND HANDLED ATC AND BEGAN A CTLED DSCNT TO GSO AND WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID A CABIN ADVISORY. COMPLETING ALL NORMAL CHKLISTS, I ALLOWED THE AIRSPD TO REMAIN ABOVE 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT TO EXPEDITE THE ARR AND MINIMIZE TIME IN THE AIR AS THE SMELL WAS STILL PRESENT AND WE HAD AN UNKNOWN SOURCE. AT APPROX 4000 FT, I BEGAN SLOWING TO CONFIGURE FOR THE VISUAL APCH INTO GREENSBORO. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND EMER VEHICLES FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE WHERE THE PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY. THE ODOR WAS STILL PRESENT FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE AS THE FIRE PERSONNEL CAME ONTO THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 628920: THE PURSER CALLED THE FLT DECK AND SAID THAT THERE WERE FUMES IN THE CABIN LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING. I ASKED HER TO TRY AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE. A FEW MINS LATER, SHE CALLED AGAIN AND SAID THERE WAS NOW A HAZE IN THE CABIN AND EXPRESSED A DEEP CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY. I ASKED THE COPLT TO FLY THE ACFT AND TAKE THE ATC RADIOS. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND COORDINATED A DIVERSION TO GSO. I CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH ALONG WITH MAINT AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO LAND AT GSO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE PURSER TO CONDUCT A 'CABIN ADVISORY' AND THAT SHE HAD ABOUT 15 MINS TO TOUCHDOWN. ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED. THE ARR INTO GSO WAS NORMAL WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS. THE EMER EQUIP FOLLOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE, AND THE ACFT WAS TURNED OVER TO THE APPROPRIATE AUTHS.

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.