Flight attendant notices unusual smell in cabin. Flight crew checks, emergency declared.

Attributes
ACN	324290
Time
Date	199512
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tjzs
State Reference	PR
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : tjzs
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	324290
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Approximately 200 NM north of sju, flight attendants reported unusual smell in cabin. Both pilots went back individually and concurred that there was an unusual smell. We elected to return to sju. Complied with abnormal and emergency checklists. Emergency declared. Overweight landing accomplished at sju. Gross weight 121300 pounds. Sink rate at touchdown 300 FPM.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT NOTICES UNUSUAL SMELL IN CABIN. FLC CHKS, EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: APPROX 200 NM N OF SJU, FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED UNUSUAL SMELL IN CABIN. BOTH PLTS WENT BACK INDIVIDUALLY AND CONCURRED THAT THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL SMELL. WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO SJU. COMPLIED WITH ABNORMAL AND EMER CHKLISTS. EMER DECLARED. OVERWT LNDG ACCOMPLISHED AT SJU. GROSS WT 121300 LBS. SINK RATE AT TOUCHDOWN 300 FPM.

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.