<< >> NASA ASRS Report 721635, December 2006

On descent; purser aboard an A320 reports galley smoke. Flight crew declares emergency and expedites approach to destination.

Attributes
ACN	721635
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 30000
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	721635
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Purser called and said that there was a plastic burning smell in the aft galley. I asked her if she saw smoke or knew where the smell was coming from. She did not. I asked her to get her fire fighting equipment ready just in case and to keep me informed. A few mins later she called back and said that there was visible smoke in the aft galley. I declared an emergency. We ran the cabin smoke qrc. Kept our speed up and expedited our approach. The first officer flew the airplane and talked to ATC. Approximately 5 mins after running the qrc the purser said that the smoke was dissipating. Landing was uneventful and we taxied to the gate. On debrief with the purser; I was concerned when she said that if we had come to a full stop she would have initiated an evacuation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON DSCNT; PURSER ABOARD AN A320 RPTS GALLEY SMOKE. FLT CREW DECLARES EMER AND EXPEDITES APCH TO DEST.

Narrative: PURSER CALLED AND SAID THAT THERE WAS A PLASTIC BURNING SMELL IN THE AFT GALLEY. I ASKED HER IF SHE SAW SMOKE OR KNEW WHERE THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM. SHE DID NOT. I ASKED HER TO GET HER FIRE FIGHTING EQUIP READY JUST IN CASE AND TO KEEP ME INFORMED. A FEW MINS LATER SHE CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT THERE WAS VISIBLE SMOKE IN THE AFT GALLEY. I DECLARED AN EMER. WE RAN THE CABIN SMOKE QRC. KEPT OUR SPEED UP AND EXPEDITED OUR APCH. THE FO FLEW THE AIRPLANE AND TALKED TO ATC. APPROX 5 MINS AFTER RUNNING THE QRC THE PURSER SAID THAT THE SMOKE WAS DISSIPATING. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. ON DEBRIEF WITH THE PURSER; I WAS CONCERNED WHEN SHE SAID THAT IF WE HAD COME TO A FULL STOP SHE WOULD HAVE INITIATED AN EVACUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.