B757-200 cabin crew alerts captain of smoke/fumes after departure. Returns to departure airport.

Attributes
ACN	727293
Time
Date	200702
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Weather Elements	other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 4
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 22 flight attendant time total : 22 flight attendant time type : 40
ASRS Report	727293
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Our flight was late to leave due to a mechanical. After about 3 to 5 mins from takeoff I smelled something electrical and communicated this to flight attendant #4. I called the cockpit and explained the smell; and told the captain that I would call him back in seconds if it got worse. At that time; I looked back in the cabin and passenger were complaining of a bad odor. I walked into the cabin and the smell was stronger; like electrical or plastic. I also noticed a smoke or haze slowly filling up; in no particular area. I immediately called back to the cockpit and updated the progress and told him I was going to locate the haze. When I was at my interphone I noticed that the floor by my jumpseat was getting very warm and at the same time the smoke alarm in the lavs started ringing. I immediately went to grab the halon; and felt the walls and ceilings in both lavs. They felt normal. Then only the right lav alarmed continued to chime. The left lav chimes stopped. I then called up to the front and asked the flight attendants to bring back more halons. I started to feel the ceilings in the aisles. By this time; the smoke/haze had dissipated. The captain informed the passenger we would be landing in 10 mins. I then went up the window exits to brief the passenger if and when they needed to open the window. We landed without incident. I felt slight pressure in my ear. I called the cockpit and they confirmed they were depressurizing the cabin. We were finally towed to the gate. I asked flight attendant #4 in fwd cabin for additional halons. Flight attendant #1 came back with halon and made a PA to passenger to remain calm and follow directions of flight crew. She then went back to fwd cabin. Human perf consideration: the other flight attendants were passive in locating halons and smoke and following procedures. No one did an emergency checklist and flight attendants did not re-brief passenger at window exit but I did before landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CABIN CREW ALERTS CAPT OF SMOKE/FUMES AFTER DEP. RETURNS TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS LATE TO LEAVE DUE TO A MECHANICAL. AFTER ABOUT 3 TO 5 MINS FROM TKOF I SMELLED SOMETHING ELECTRICAL AND COMMUNICATED THIS TO FLT ATTENDANT #4. I CALLED THE COCKPIT AND EXPLAINED THE SMELL; AND TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WOULD CALL HIM BACK IN SECONDS IF IT GOT WORSE. AT THAT TIME; I LOOKED BACK IN THE CABIN AND PAX WERE COMPLAINING OF A BAD ODOR. I WALKED INTO THE CABIN AND THE SMELL WAS STRONGER; LIKE ELECTRICAL OR PLASTIC. I ALSO NOTICED A SMOKE OR HAZE SLOWLY FILLING UP; IN NO PARTICULAR AREA. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED BACK TO THE COCKPIT AND UPDATED THE PROGRESS AND TOLD HIM I WAS GOING TO LOCATE THE HAZE. WHEN I WAS AT MY INTERPHONE I NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR BY MY JUMPSEAT WAS GETTING VERY WARM AND AT THE SAME TIME THE SMOKE ALARM IN THE LAVS STARTED RINGING. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO GRAB THE HALON; AND FELT THE WALLS AND CEILINGS IN BOTH LAVS. THEY FELT NORMAL. THEN ONLY THE R LAV ALARMED CONTINUED TO CHIME. THE L LAV CHIMES STOPPED. I THEN CALLED UP TO THE FRONT AND ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BRING BACK MORE HALONS. I STARTED TO FEEL THE CEILINGS IN THE AISLES. BY THIS TIME; THE SMOKE/HAZE HAD DISSIPATED. THE CAPT INFORMED THE PAX WE WOULD BE LNDG IN 10 MINS. I THEN WENT UP THE WINDOW EXITS TO BRIEF THE PAX IF AND WHEN THEY NEEDED TO OPEN THE WINDOW. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FELT SLIGHT PRESSURE IN MY EAR. I CALLED THE COCKPIT AND THEY CONFIRMED THEY WERE DEPRESSURIZING THE CABIN. WE WERE FINALLY TOWED TO THE GATE. I ASKED FLT ATTENDANT #4 IN FWD CABIN FOR ADDITIONAL HALONS. FLT ATTENDANT #1 CAME BACK WITH HALON AND MADE A PA TO PAX TO REMAIN CALM AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS OF FLT CREW. SHE THEN WENT BACK TO FWD CABIN. HUMAN PERF CONSIDERATION: THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WERE PASSIVE IN LOCATING HALONS AND SMOKE AND FOLLOWING PROCS. NO ONE DID AN EMER CHKLIST AND FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT RE-BRIEF PAX AT WINDOW EXIT BUT I DID BEFORE LNDG.

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.