Narrative:

We were cruising at FL310 en route from cincinnati to new orleans in an medium large transport. The flight deck crew was made aware of a fire in the aft galley by a call from the cabin crew on flight interphone. I had prebriefed my first officer that in an emergency the PF would continue to do so while the other pilot managed any emergency; therefore, he began to coordination reports from the cabin crew and to manage the emergency while I called memphis ARTCC and requested an immediate vector to nashville which was just 60 NM off our left wing. The first officer very quickly reported that the F/as had used a fire extinguisher on the fire and that no flames or smoke were visible. I relayed this information to memphis but continued our request for clearance to nashville for an immediate precautionary landing. As we descended for our approach the first officer brought out the checklist for smoke removal and set it aside for possible use. In addition, he stayed in constant contact with the cabin crew for updates on the fire or smoke situation and worked in a call to our airline dispatcher to alert them to our diversion. Then we worked our checklists, made a PA announcement to our passengers explaining our actions, and contacted nashville approach control for our visibility approach. When we were turned over to tower the emergency equipment was already in place down the runway and an uneventful landing was made. After we had verified once more that our fire was out, no smoke present, and all cbs pulled to the offending oven we asked the tower to release the emergency equipment which had maintained a close ready position as we turned off the runway and stopped. We then continued to our parking ramp. Due to the fact that our problem was resolved almost as soon as it transpired we did not declare an emergency but we did continue to verify our safe condition throughout descent, landing, and taxi in. A team of FAA inspectors met our aircraft a few mins after we parked and interviewed our crew. I was the last to speak with them after their inspection was complete and they expressed the same feelings I had, namely that the quick and professional action of our cabin crew had averted a potentially dangerous situation. In addition, the team leader stated that he would recommend the situation be handled as an incident in their reporting system. I feel that the key factor in keeping this situation under control was the smooth manner in which each crew member performed his/her duties. My first officer was particularly helpful in that he had established a good rapport with the F/as when we met before flight and they communicated effectively throughout. In addition, he and I kept each other informed of what was happening while the other was occupied and I felt we worked smoothly and effectively during the 15 mins it took to control the fire and get us on the ground. And memphis center and nashville approach/tower performed flawlessly in providing us exactly the help we needed when we needed it. I find it a pleasure to work with real professionals in all facets of our business. Ps. Cause of our problem was a plastic soup bowl which contacted an oven heating element, melted, and shorted out the oven.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMOKE ALERT FROM CABIN ATTENDANTS CAUSED FLT CREW TO DIVERT TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, BNA.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL310 ENRTE FROM CINCINNATI TO NEW ORLEANS IN AN MLG. THE FLT DECK CREW WAS MADE AWARE OF A FIRE IN THE AFT GALLEY BY A CALL FROM THE CABIN CREW ON FLT INTERPHONE. I HAD PREBRIEFED MY F/O THAT IN AN EMER THE PF WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO WHILE THE OTHER PLT MANAGED ANY EMER; THEREFORE, HE BEGAN TO COORD RPTS FROM THE CABIN CREW AND TO MANAGE THE EMER WHILE I CALLED MEMPHIS ARTCC AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO NASHVILLE WHICH WAS JUST 60 NM OFF OUR L WING. THE F/O VERY QUICKLY RPTED THAT THE F/AS HAD USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON THE FIRE AND THAT NO FLAMES OR SMOKE WERE VISIBLE. I RELAYED THIS INFO TO MEMPHIS BUT CONTINUED OUR REQUEST FOR CLRNC TO NASHVILLE FOR AN IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. AS WE DSNDED FOR OUR APCH THE F/O BROUGHT OUT THE CHKLIST FOR SMOKE REMOVAL AND SET IT ASIDE FOR POSSIBLE USE. IN ADDITION, HE STAYED IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE CABIN CREW FOR UPDATES ON THE FIRE OR SMOKE SITUATION AND WORKED IN A CALL TO OUR AIRLINE DISPATCHER TO ALERT THEM TO OUR DIVERSION. THEN WE WORKED OUR CHKLISTS, MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO OUR PAXS EXPLAINING OUR ACTIONS, AND CONTACTED NASHVILLE APCH CTL FOR OUR VIS APCH. WHEN WE WERE TURNED OVER TO TWR THE EMER EQUIP WAS ALREADY IN PLACE DOWN THE RWY AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. AFTER WE HAD VERIFIED ONCE MORE THAT OUR FIRE WAS OUT, NO SMOKE PRESENT, AND ALL CBS PULLED TO THE OFFENDING OVEN WE ASKED THE TWR TO RELEASE THE EMER EQUIP WHICH HAD MAINTAINED A CLOSE READY POS AS WE TURNED OFF THE RWY AND STOPPED. WE THEN CONTINUED TO OUR PARKING RAMP. DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR PROB WAS RESOLVED ALMOST AS SOON AS IT TRANSPIRED WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BUT WE DID CONTINUE TO VERIFY OUR SAFE CONDITION THROUGHOUT DSNT, LNDG, AND TAXI IN. A TEAM OF FAA INSPECTORS MET OUR ACFT A FEW MINS AFTER WE PARKED AND INTERVIEWED OUR CREW. I WAS THE LAST TO SPEAK WITH THEM AFTER THEIR INSPECTION WAS COMPLETE AND THEY EXPRESSED THE SAME FEELINGS I HAD, NAMELY THAT THE QUICK AND PROFESSIONAL ACTION OF OUR CABIN CREW HAD AVERTED A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IN ADDITION, THE TEAM LEADER STATED THAT HE WOULD RECOMMEND THE SITUATION BE HANDLED AS AN INCIDENT IN THEIR RPTING SYS. I FEEL THAT THE KEY FACTOR IN KEEPING THIS SITUATION UNDER CTL WAS THE SMOOTH MANNER IN WHICH EACH CREW MEMBER PERFORMED HIS/HER DUTIES. MY F/O WAS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL IN THAT HE HAD ESTABLISHED A GOOD RAPPORT WITH THE F/AS WHEN WE MET BEFORE FLT AND THEY COMMUNICATED EFFECTIVELY THROUGHOUT. IN ADDITION, HE AND I KEPT EACH OTHER INFORMED OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHILE THE OTHER WAS OCCUPIED AND I FELT WE WORKED SMOOTHLY AND EFFECTIVELY DURING THE 15 MINS IT TOOK TO CTL THE FIRE AND GET US ON THE GND. AND MEMPHIS CTR AND NASHVILLE APCH/TWR PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY IN PROVIDING US EXACTLY THE HELP WE NEEDED WHEN WE NEEDED IT. I FIND IT A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH REAL PROFESSIONALS IN ALL FACETS OF OUR BUSINESS. PS. CAUSE OF OUR PROB WAS A PLASTIC SOUP BOWL WHICH CONTACTED AN OVEN HEATING ELEMENT, MELTED, AND SHORTED OUT THE OVEN.

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