Narrative:

Climbing out of ZZZ at FL280 the flight attendants called to report a strong burning odor in the forward galley area. We confirmed that there were no flames or smoke and the coffee pots were off. Since there were no flames or smoke we called maintenance control to ask for advice. We told them that the lavatory motor had just been MEL'ed and asked if that could be the problem. We were advised to return to ZZZ. We declared an emergency and returned to ZZZ with no other problems. We landed at a weight of 110000 pounds. After the flight the passenger in business class reported that they too smelled the strong burning odor. I realized after the flight that the paperwork had the wrong flight attendants. There must have been a last min change that I was not aware of and didn't catch it on the release.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 CABIN CREW REPORTED A STRONG BURNING ODOR IN THE FORWARD GALLEY AFTER TKOF. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE FLT RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF ZZZ AT FL280 THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO RPT A STRONG BURNING ODOR IN THE FORWARD GALLEY AREA. WE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO FLAMES OR SMOKE AND THE COFFEE POTS WERE OFF. SINCE THERE WERE NO FLAMES OR SMOKE WE CALLED MAINT CTL TO ASK FOR ADVICE. WE TOLD THEM THAT THE LAVATORY MOTOR HAD JUST BEEN MEL'ED AND ASKED IF THAT COULD BE THE PROB. WE WERE ADVISED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO ZZZ WITH NO OTHER PROBS. WE LANDED AT A WT OF 110000 LBS. AFTER THE FLT THE PAX IN BUSINESS CLASS RPTED THAT THEY TOO SMELLED THE STRONG BURNING ODOR. I REALIZED AFTER THE FLT THAT THE PAPERWORK HAD THE WRONG FLT ATTENDANTS. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A LAST MIN CHANGE THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF AND DIDN'T CATCH IT ON THE RELEASE.

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.