Narrative:

After starting our descent approximately 35 mi southwest of pah, a passenger came up and said, 'I think we have a fire in the cabin'. I immediately told the first officer to go back and check it out. While the first officer was undoing his seatbelt and getting up, he looked back and did observe sparks and a small flame, coming from the cove lights over seats 3 and 4A. At this time the first officer grabbed the fire extinguisher and headed to the back. After the first officer had unplugged the light bulb and the cove light switch was turned off, the sparks and flame went out, without the use of the extinguisher. We declared an emergency, had the equipment standing by in pah and continued. At this time I called pah operations on our company frequency and told them what had happened when our ETA was and to relay message to memphis dispatch. We landed in pah with no more incident. After we landed I went inside to operations and called mem dispatch and told them of the situation and also the chief pilot. After returning to memphis we filled out all reports and handed them in to the chief pilot which gave them to our director of operations. 5 days after the incident we were notified that our duty officer did not notify the NTSB. In this situation the duty officer or anyone else should treat any abnormal situation with care and notify the appropriate authorities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT HAS ELECTRICAL FIRE IN CABIN.

Narrative: AFTER STARTING OUR DSCNT APPROX 35 MI SW OF PAH, A PAX CAME UP AND SAID, 'I THINK WE HAVE A FIRE IN THE CABIN'. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE F/O TO GO BACK AND CHECK IT OUT. WHILE THE F/O WAS UNDOING HIS SEATBELT AND GETTING UP, HE LOOKED BACK AND DID OBSERVE SPARKS AND A SMALL FLAME, COMING FROM THE COVE LIGHTS OVER SEATS 3 AND 4A. AT THIS TIME THE F/O GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND HEADED TO THE BACK. AFTER THE F/O HAD UNPLUGGED THE LIGHT BULB AND THE COVE LIGHT SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF, THE SPARKS AND FLAME WENT OUT, WITHOUT THE USE OF THE EXTINGUISHER. WE DECLARED AN EMER, HAD THE EQUIPMENT STANDING BY IN PAH AND CONTINUED. AT THIS TIME I CALLED PAH OPERATIONS ON OUR COMPANY FREQ AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED WHEN OUR ETA WAS AND TO RELAY MESSAGE TO MEMPHIS DISPATCH. WE LANDED IN PAH WITH NO MORE INCIDENT. AFTER WE LANDED I WENT INSIDE TO OPERATIONS AND CALLED MEM DISPATCH AND TOLD THEM OF THE SITUATION AND ALSO THE CHIEF PLT. AFTER RETURNING TO MEMPHIS WE FILLED OUT ALL REPORTS AND HANDED THEM IN TO THE CHIEF PLT WHICH GAVE THEM TO OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS. 5 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT OUR DUTY OFFICER DID NOT NOTIFY THE NTSB. IN THIS SITUATION THE DUTY OFFICER OR ANYONE ELSE SHOULD TREAT ANY ABNORMAL SITUATION WITH CARE AND NOTIFY THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.