Narrative:

I was captain and pilot monitoring the flight. First officer was PF. Departure was uneventful. Approximately 15 mins after top of climb; at approximately FL360; the lead flight attendant called the cockpit and reported a burning rubber smell and visible haze around the area of row 36. First officer took the radios while I discussed the situation with the flight attendants. 1 flight attendant was assigned to stay on the intercom continuously and the others were instructed to inspect the cabin; stressing galleys and the area around the odor. At this time the cockpit crew referred to the QRH and prepared to accomplish the smoke/fumes air-conditioning checklist. There were no abnormal indications or odors in the cockpit. The decision to divert was made and an emergency was declared. The aircraft diverted. An uneventful but overweight landing was accomplished. After landing the passenger were calm as the crash fire rescue equipment trucks inspected the aircraft and we taxied to the ramp. Several PA's were made during the evolution making it clear that the situation was stable but the captain wanted some things checked that could only be checked on the ground. Direct communication to company was not possible. ACARS was in no communication status but apparently were received because we got a good response with WX information; etc; after landing. HF phone patch was attempted but time was too short. A divert notification to company was sent through center and tower frequency through an early contact with them. On the ground contract maintenance arrived with 2 mechanics one of whom had experience in type and the next 3 hours or so were spent checking system with some direction from maintenance control. The aircraft was taxied for a high power engine run-up and an overweight landing inspection was performed. With dispatcher; maintenance control and contract mechanic's concurrence the aircraft was deemed airworthy and the passenger were addressed in the gatehouse by the captain in order to explain the situation. After refueling; refiling the flight plan and boarding the aircraft. Flight departed for an uneventful flight to ZZZ. A few points merit attention. The flight attendants performed flawlessly with professional assistance to the cockpit crew and a calming effect on the passenger. The first officer made the evolution much less stressful with his perfect execution of the emergency descent and landing with a very challenging arrival procedure. He was instrumental in getting the normal checklists done in a timely manner while I was busy with the abnormal ones.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 EXPERIENCED FUMES AND BURNING ODOR IN THE CABIN DURING CRUISE. FLT CREW DECLARED EMER AND DIVERTED FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT AND PLT MONITORING THE FLT. FO WAS PF. DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL. APPROX 15 MINS AFTER TOP OF CLB; AT APPROX FL360; THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT AND RPTED A BURNING RUBBER SMELL AND VISIBLE HAZE AROUND THE AREA OF ROW 36. FO TOOK THE RADIOS WHILE I DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS ASSIGNED TO STAY ON THE INTERCOM CONTINUOUSLY AND THE OTHERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO INSPECT THE CABIN; STRESSING GALLEYS AND THE AREA AROUND THE ODOR. AT THIS TIME THE COCKPIT CREW REFERRED TO THE QRH AND PREPARED TO ACCOMPLISH THE SMOKE/FUMES AIR-CONDITIONING CHKLIST. THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS OR ODORS IN THE COCKPIT. THE DECISION TO DIVERT WAS MADE AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE ACFT DIVERTED. AN UNEVENTFUL BUT OVERWT LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. AFTER LNDG THE PAX WERE CALM AS THE CFR TRUCKS INSPECTED THE ACFT AND WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP. SEVERAL PA'S WERE MADE DURING THE EVOLUTION MAKING IT CLR THAT THE SITUATION WAS STABLE BUT THE CAPT WANTED SOME THINGS CHKED THAT COULD ONLY BE CHKED ON THE GND. DIRECT COM TO COMPANY WAS NOT POSSIBLE. ACARS WAS IN NO COM STATUS BUT APPARENTLY WERE RECEIVED BECAUSE WE GOT A GOOD RESPONSE WITH WX INFO; ETC; AFTER LNDG. HF PHONE PATCH WAS ATTEMPTED BUT TIME WAS TOO SHORT. A DIVERT NOTIFICATION TO COMPANY WAS SENT THROUGH CTR AND TWR FREQ THROUGH AN EARLY CONTACT WITH THEM. ON THE GND CONTRACT MAINT ARRIVED WITH 2 MECHS ONE OF WHOM HAD EXPERIENCE IN TYPE AND THE NEXT 3 HRS OR SO WERE SPENT CHKING SYS WITH SOME DIRECTION FROM MAINT CTL. THE ACFT WAS TAXIED FOR A HIGH PWR ENG RUN-UP AND AN OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. WITH DISPATCHER; MAINT CTL AND CONTRACT MECH'S CONCURRENCE THE ACFT WAS DEEMED AIRWORTHY AND THE PAX WERE ADDRESSED IN THE GATEHOUSE BY THE CAPT IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION. AFTER REFUELING; REFILING THE FLT PLAN AND BOARDING THE ACFT. FLT DEPARTED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO ZZZ. A FEW POINTS MERIT ATTN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY WITH PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE TO THE COCKPIT CREW AND A CALMING EFFECT ON THE PAX. THE FO MADE THE EVOLUTION MUCH LESS STRESSFUL WITH HIS PERFECT EXECUTION OF THE EMER DSCNT AND LNDG WITH A VERY CHALLENGING ARR PROC. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THE NORMAL CHKLISTS DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER WHILE I WAS BUSY WITH THE ABNORMAL ONES.

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.