A B737-300 crew declared an emergency after the purser informed them of fuel smell in the cabin.

Attributes
ACN	773521
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 36000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	773521
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	773522
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While in cruise; flight attendant called and told us of a cabin odor she said smelled like gas. Purser is a pilot. She told us it smelled like jet a. After consulting with maintenance and dispatch; we decided to declare an emergency for possible fuel leak. We landed uneventfully at ZZZ and debriefed the mechanics and fire rescue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter went to high packs for a while and cleared the air of the smell. After a period the packs were put back to normal low flow and the smell returned making the passenger ill. The lead flight attendant was a commuter pilot in the past familiar with the smell. After landing maintenance could not identify where the fuel smell was coming from.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW DECLARED AN EMER AFTER THE PURSER INFORMED THEM OF FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE; FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND TOLD US OF A CABIN ODOR SHE SAID SMELLED LIKE GAS. PURSER IS A PLT. SHE TOLD US IT SMELLED LIKE JET A. AFTER CONSULTING WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH; WE DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER FOR POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT ZZZ AND DEBRIEFED THE MECHS AND FIRE RESCUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER WENT TO HIGH PACKS FOR A WHILE AND CLEARED THE AIR OF THE SMELL. AFTER A PERIOD THE PACKS WERE PUT BACK TO NORMAL LOW FLOW AND THE SMELL RETURNED MAKING THE PAX ILL. THE LEAD FA WAS A COMMUTER PILOT IN THE PAST FAMILIAR WITH THE SMELL. AFTER LANDING MAINT COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHERE THE FUEL SMELL WAS COMING FROM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.