Narrative:

During cruise at FL310, the flight attendant in the aft cabin called and said there was a burning odor in the passenger cabin. I told her to keep her oxygen mask close by and to stay on the interphone. I had the lead flight attendant stay in the cockpit doorway with the door open. The third flight attendant inspected the cabin and lavatories and reported everything was normal. At about that time the first officer and I both began to smell the odor and donned our oxygen masks as a precautionary measure. There was no visible smoke, just the acrid odor. The first officer was the PF as we declared an emergency and headed toward gso. I made a PA informing the passenger everything was under control, we would be landing in gso and to remain seated until further advised. I was about 1/2 way through the smoke/fire checklist when the flight attendants reported the odor was dissipating. I discontinued the smoke/fire checklist at that time. We removed our oxygen masks and completed the descent and approach checklists. Landing was uneventful. During rollout I advised the passenger the fire chief would be looking over the aircraft and again to remain seated. We turned off the runway and I established communication with the fire chief. He inspected the aircraft and reported everything looked fine. We taxied to the gate and the passenger deplaned without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD88 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER CABIN ATTENDANTS RPTED A SMOKE ODOR IN THE CABIN. THE ODOR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SMELLED IN THE COCKPIT WHEREUPON THE FLC DONNED OXYGEN MASKS. THE SMELL WENT AWAY PRIOR TO LNDG AND INSPECTION OF ACFT BY FIRE PERSONNEL DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY CAUSE FOR THE SMELL.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE AT FL310, THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE AFT CABIN CALLED AND SAID THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR IN THE PAX CABIN. I TOLD HER TO KEEP HER OXYGEN MASK CLOSE BY AND TO STAY ON THE INTERPHONE. I HAD THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT STAY IN THE COCKPIT DOORWAY WITH THE DOOR OPEN. THE THIRD FLT ATTENDANT INSPECTED THE CABIN AND LAVATORIES AND RPTED EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. AT ABOUT THAT TIME THE FO AND I BOTH BEGAN TO SMELL THE ODOR AND DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SMOKE, JUST THE ACRID ODOR. THE FO WAS THE PF AS WE DECLARED AN EMER AND HEADED TOWARD GSO. I MADE A PA INFORMING THE PAX EVERYTHING WAS UNDER CTL, WE WOULD BE LNDG IN GSO AND TO REMAIN SEATED UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. I WAS ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE SMOKE/FIRE CHKLIST WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THE ODOR WAS DISSIPATING. I DISCONTINUED THE SMOKE/FIRE CHKLIST AT THAT TIME. WE REMOVED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND COMPLETED THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLISTS. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING ROLLOUT I ADVISED THE PAX THE FIRE CHIEF WOULD BE LOOKING OVER THE ACFT AND AGAIN TO REMAIN SEATED. WE TURNED OFF THE RWY AND I ESTABLISHED COM WITH THE FIRE CHIEF. HE INSPECTED THE ACFT AND RPTED EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE AND THE PAX DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.