Narrative:

Normal takeoff, 1ST chime, made PA, then heard cockpit interphone, did not listen in, less than min later flight attendant #4 came to my jump seat, asked me to come back to see if I smelled electrical burn smell. I got to row xx and lady grabbed me, wanted to know if we were going to die. She was shaking all over. Kept clinging to me, I finally got loose and went back, did not smell the burn, but my ovens had been on and had cooking pizza in forward galley. Passenger in yyx was pointing to floor access from her and repeating over and over that there was a 'bang' there, then the odor started. The flight attendant and I headed back up to report to captain. Passenger grabbed me again. This time in a death grip. Flight attendant went to interphone to report to captain. Passenger told me she was pregnant and having a heart attack. I asked her to give me specifics of how she felt. She just kept saying 'what's happening, I'm pregnant, are we going to die' the whole time she was hanging onto my arm with incredible strength. I tried reassuring her, but she was not open to listening. At this time captain made PA, 'problem needed to be checked out, we are returning to dfw. Flight attendants prepare for landing and do 30 second review.' flight attendant made PA as passenger would not let me go. Gear was already down before I could pry her hands off mine. Got to jump seat. We landed, flanked by fire trucks. Stopped, captain said we were going to have exterior of plane checked before we did anything else. That took a few mins then he announced we were to taxi to gate. Asked us to get people off quickly as possible without panic. We deplaned, passenger helped each other as requested. Wheelchair was at gate for passenger who had come on in one. Lots of help to meet flight. During deplaning I realized my right forearm was bleeding. Think probably passenger scratched me, unintentionally, just in her panic. In very short time we got new plane just 2 gates away. Captain said he would talk to passenger, she spent about 5 mins in cockpit as others boarded. Captain was great throughout entire event! Passenger told me she has panic attacks and this was the worst she had ever had. She stayed nervous, but made flight ok. Was embarrassed so I did not get her address, etc. Captain was great keeping everyone informed and calm. I think from takeoff to touchdown was 20 mins maximum.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RECEIVES SCRATCHED ARM FROM PANICKY PAX DURING A RETURN LAND MANDATED BY AN ELECTRICAL ODOR AFTER A BANG WAS HEARD BY ANOTHER PAX ON A DEP MD80 OUT OF DFW.

Narrative: NORMAL TKOF, 1ST CHIME, MADE PA, THEN HEARD COCKPIT INTERPHONE, DID NOT LISTEN IN, LESS THAN MIN LATER FLT ATTENDANT #4 CAME TO MY JUMP SEAT, ASKED ME TO COME BACK TO SEE IF I SMELLED ELECTRICAL BURN SMELL. I GOT TO ROW XX AND LADY GRABBED ME, WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO DIE. SHE WAS SHAKING ALL OVER. KEPT CLINGING TO ME, I FINALLY GOT LOOSE AND WENT BACK, DID NOT SMELL THE BURN, BUT MY OVENS HAD BEEN ON AND HAD COOKING PIZZA IN FORWARD GALLEY. PAX IN YYX WAS POINTING TO FLOOR ACCESS FROM HER AND REPEATING OVER AND OVER THAT THERE WAS A 'BANG' THERE, THEN THE ODOR STARTED. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND I HEADED BACK UP TO RPT TO CAPT. PAX GRABBED ME AGAIN. THIS TIME IN A DEATH GRIP. FLT ATTENDANT WENT TO INTERPHONE TO RPT TO CAPT. PAX TOLD ME SHE WAS PREGNANT AND HAVING A HEART ATTACK. I ASKED HER TO GIVE ME SPECIFICS OF HOW SHE FELT. SHE JUST KEPT SAYING 'WHAT'S HAPPENING, I'M PREGNANT, ARE WE GOING TO DIE' THE WHOLE TIME SHE WAS HANGING ONTO MY ARM WITH INCREDIBLE STRENGTH. I TRIED REASSURING HER, BUT SHE WAS NOT OPEN TO LISTENING. AT THIS TIME CAPT MADE PA, 'PROB NEEDED TO BE CHKED OUT, WE ARE RETURNING TO DFW. FLT ATTENDANTS PREPARE FOR LNDG AND DO 30 SECOND REVIEW.' FLT ATTENDANT MADE PA AS PAX WOULD NOT LET ME GO. GEAR WAS ALREADY DOWN BEFORE I COULD PRY HER HANDS OFF MINE. GOT TO JUMP SEAT. WE LANDED, FLANKED BY FIRE TRUCKS. STOPPED, CAPT SAID WE WERE GOING TO HAVE EXTERIOR OF PLANE CHKED BEFORE WE DID ANYTHING ELSE. THAT TOOK A FEW MINS THEN HE ANNOUNCED WE WERE TO TAXI TO GATE. ASKED US TO GET PEOPLE OFF QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT PANIC. WE DEPLANED, PAX HELPED EACH OTHER AS REQUESTED. WHEELCHAIR WAS AT GATE FOR PAX WHO HAD COME ON IN ONE. LOTS OF HELP TO MEET FLT. DURING DEPLANING I REALIZED MY R FOREARM WAS BLEEDING. THINK PROBABLY PAX SCRATCHED ME, UNINTENTIONALLY, JUST IN HER PANIC. IN VERY SHORT TIME WE GOT NEW PLANE JUST 2 GATES AWAY. CAPT SAID HE WOULD TALK TO PAX, SHE SPENT ABOUT 5 MINS IN COCKPIT AS OTHERS BOARDED. CAPT WAS GREAT THROUGHOUT ENTIRE EVENT! PAX TOLD ME SHE HAS PANIC ATTACKS AND THIS WAS THE WORST SHE HAD EVER HAD. SHE STAYED NERVOUS, BUT MADE FLT OK. WAS EMBARRASSED SO I DID NOT GET HER ADDRESS, ETC. CAPT WAS GREAT KEEPING EVERYONE INFORMED AND CALM. I THINK FROM TKOF TO TOUCHDOWN WAS 20 MINS MAX.

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.