Narrative:

While passing over buffalo en route to rochester, ny, the first flight attendant (ffa) came into the cockpit. He reported to us that smoke and some small flames were coming out of a sidewall lighting fixture at seats 8A-B-C. He had a fire extinguisher, and said he wanted to spray some halon into the area where the smoke was coming from, even though it appeared the fire was out. We authority/authorized him to do this as a precaution, just in case there was a concealed fire. The captain and I decided to land as soon as possible. We were talking to buffalo approach at the time, and arranged a diversion to buffalo airport, since it was the nearest suitable airport. We arranged to have crash fire rescue equipment equipment stand by for our landing. After speaking with the ffa, we determined that the fire appeared to be out, and that an evacuate/evacuation would not be necessary. The approach and landing was uneventful. After landing a crash fire rescue equipment crew boarded the airplane. The crash fire rescue equipment crew inspected where the fire occurred. They removed panels covering the lighting fixture. The crash fire rescue equipment crew discovered a ballast used to power the fluorescent lights in the sidewall to be burned and shorted out. There was no further fire to be found. The crash fire rescue equipment crew left, and the FAA, along with NTSB authority/authorized mechanics, further inspected the lighting fixture. The airplane was released, and then ferried to chicago. Even though the event was minor, our crew took every necessary precaution to insure the utmost safety of the passenger, airplane, and fellow crewmembers. The overall outcome was uneventful, and no passenger were hurt or overly distressed. I would recommend that lighting fixtures on older airplanes (this one was about 25 yrs old) be periodically inspected to prevent a future occurrence. A ballast is an inexpensive part, and can be replaced with little effort.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG DIVERTED TO LAND DUE TO CABIN FIRE.

Narrative: WHILE PASSING OVER BUFFALO ENRTE TO ROCHESTER, NY, THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT (FFA) CAME INTO THE COCKPIT. HE RPTED TO US THAT SMOKE AND SOME SMALL FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF A SIDEWALL LIGHTING FIXTURE AT SEATS 8A-B-C. HE HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND SAID HE WANTED TO SPRAY SOME HALON INTO THE AREA WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM, EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARED THE FIRE WAS OUT. WE AUTH HIM TO DO THIS AS A PRECAUTION, JUST IN CASE THERE WAS A CONCEALED FIRE. THE CAPT AND I DECIDED TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE TALKING TO BUFFALO APCH AT THE TIME, AND ARRANGED A DIVERSION TO BUFFALO ARPT, SINCE IT WAS THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. WE ARRANGED TO HAVE CFR EQUIP STAND BY FOR OUR LNDG. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FFA, WE DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE OUT, AND THAT AN EVAC WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG A CFR CREW BOARDED THE AIRPLANE. THE CFR CREW INSPECTED WHERE THE FIRE OCCURRED. THEY REMOVED PANELS COVERING THE LIGHTING FIXTURE. THE CFR CREW DISCOVERED A BALLAST USED TO PWR THE FLUORESCENT LIGHTS IN THE SIDEWALL TO BE BURNED AND SHORTED OUT. THERE WAS NO FURTHER FIRE TO BE FOUND. THE CFR CREW LEFT, AND THE FAA, ALONG WITH NTSB AUTH MECHS, FURTHER INSPECTED THE LIGHTING FIXTURE. THE AIRPLANE WAS RELEASED, AND THEN FERRIED TO CHICAGO. EVEN THOUGH THE EVENT WAS MINOR, OUR CREW TOOK EVERY NECESSARY PRECAUTION TO INSURE THE UTMOST SAFETY OF THE PAX, AIRPLANE, AND FELLOW CREWMEMBERS. THE OVERALL OUTCOME WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND NO PAX WERE HURT OR OVERLY DISTRESSED. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT LIGHTING FIXTURES ON OLDER AIRPLANES (THIS ONE WAS ABOUT 25 YRS OLD) BE PERIODICALLY INSPECTED TO PREVENT A FUTURE OCCURRENCE. A BALLAST IS AN INEXPENSIVE PART, AND CAN BE REPLACED WITH LITTLE EFFORT.

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.