Emergency declared emergency descent.

Attributes
ACN	296283
Time
Date	199502
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 136 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	296293
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight attendant reported an acrid burning smell, like plastic burning, in main cabin. Passenger noticed also and queried the flight attendants about the smell. The fumes increased intensity. I initiated the smoke/fumes checklist. Aircraft was at FL370, 160 NM west of dfw on the arrival. Neither captain nor first officer detected/smelled the odor/fumes in the cockpit: but we went on 100 percent oxygen and declared emergency with ATC, initiated a descent for landing. Prior to using depressurization to evacuate/evacuation fumes flight attendant reported that the odor/fumes had dissipated and we terminated the checklist procedure. We continued a normal but expedited arrival and landing under the emergency clearance. There was excellent cooperation, communication between the flight attendant crew and the cockpit. Passenger were calm and appeared to take the episode in stride. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the md-88 for a major us air carrier. He is a fan of the ASRS and has done a lot of safety work for his pilot's union. He does not know exactly what caused the smoke, but 'probably it was in the air conditioning system.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED EMER DSCNT.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT RPTED AN ACRID BURNING SMELL, LIKE PLASTIC BURNING, IN MAIN CABIN. PAX NOTICED ALSO AND QUERIED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE SMELL. THE FUMES INCREASED INTENSITY. I INITIATED THE SMOKE/FUMES CHKLIST. ACFT WAS AT FL370, 160 NM W OF DFW ON THE ARR. NEITHER CAPT NOR FO DETECTED/SMELLED THE ODOR/FUMES IN THE COCKPIT: BUT WE WENT ON 100 PERCENT OXYGEN AND DECLARED EMER WITH ATC, INITIATED A DSCNT FOR LNDG. PRIOR TO USING DEPRESSURIZATION TO EVAC FUMES FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THE ODOR/FUMES HAD DISSIPATED AND WE TERMINATED THE CHKLIST PROC. WE CONTINUED A NORMAL BUT EXPEDITED ARR AND LNDG UNDER THE EMER CLRNC. THERE WAS EXCELLENT COOPERATION, COM BTWN THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW AND THE COCKPIT. PAX WERE CALM AND APPEARED TO TAKE THE EPISODE IN STRIDE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE MD-88 FOR A MAJOR US ACR. HE IS A FAN OF THE ASRS AND HAS DONE A LOT OF SAFETY WORK FOR HIS PLT'S UNION. HE DOES NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THE SMOKE, BUT 'PROBABLY IT WAS IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS.'

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.