Narrative:

At approximately 1 hour into the flight, the csc came into the cockpit and informed me that there was smoke in the cabin and it had an electrical smell. While the csc was looking for the source of smoke in aft cabin, I had the so contact dispatcher and notify of problem. First officer informed ATC. Informed both dispatcher and ATC of possible diversion. Csc informed me 'smoke still present,' unable to locate source, and right aft lavatory smoke alarm sounding off. Had so step into cabin, verified smoke and smell. Initiated emergency descent to ama as so re-entered cockpit. At this time 'right duct overheat' light illuminated. Ran the emergency descent, smoke identify and removal, and duct overheat light checklists. Was my leg, gave the aircraft to first officer at the beginning of situation. He flew the descent, approach, and landing while I worked with so and csc. Requested emergency equipment for landing. During descent the cabin smoke cleared. Landing was normal. WX at ama 150 degrees at 7 KTS, 10 mi 4 overcast 3 degrees/3 degrees, heavy transport weight landing approximately 156000 pounds. After landing with no evidence of smoke, taxied to ramp area where we were assisted by air carrier personnel. After stopping the aircraft, fire fighters gave the aircraft a 'look over' for evidence of fire or smoke -- none seen. Off-loaded the passenger from L1 and had them enter the terminal building. A fire fighter entered the aircraft to investigate. Neither the fire fighters nor contract maintenance could find evidence of smoke or fire. After discussions with atl maintenance, fire fighters, and contract maintenance, felt sure that the source of smoke was the right pack. Regenerated the flight and brought the aircraft into atl. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the right pack overheat was caused by an automatic temperature pack controller which was deferred and the pack was operated to trip termination in manual mode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 IN CRUISE AT FL330 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SMOKE AND SMELL IN THE PAX CABIN CAUSED BY A FAILED R PACK AUTO TEMP CTLR.

Narrative: AT APPROX 1 HR INTO THE FLT, THE CSC CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND IT HAD AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. WHILE THE CSC WAS LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE OF SMOKE IN AFT CABIN, I HAD THE SO CONTACT DISPATCHER AND NOTIFY OF PROB. FO INFORMED ATC. INFORMED BOTH DISPATCHER AND ATC OF POSSIBLE DIVERSION. CSC INFORMED ME 'SMOKE STILL PRESENT,' UNABLE TO LOCATE SOURCE, AND R AFT LAVATORY SMOKE ALARM SOUNDING OFF. HAD SO STEP INTO CABIN, VERIFIED SMOKE AND SMELL. INITIATED EMER DSCNT TO AMA AS SO RE-ENTERED COCKPIT. AT THIS TIME 'R DUCT OVERHEAT' LIGHT ILLUMINATED. RAN THE EMER DSCNT, SMOKE IDENT AND REMOVAL, AND DUCT OVERHEAT LIGHT CHKLISTS. WAS MY LEG, GAVE THE ACFT TO FO AT THE BEGINNING OF SIT. HE FLEW THE DSCNT, APCH, AND LNDG WHILE I WORKED WITH SO AND CSC. REQUESTED EMER EQUIP FOR LNDG. DURING DSCNT THE CABIN SMOKE CLRED. LNDG WAS NORMAL. WX AT AMA 150 DEGS AT 7 KTS, 10 MI 4 OVCST 3 DEGS/3 DEGS, HVT WT LNDG APPROX 156000 LBS. AFTER LNDG WITH NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE, TAXIED TO RAMP AREA WHERE WE WERE ASSISTED BY ACR PERSONNEL. AFTER STOPPING THE ACFT, FIRE FIGHTERS GAVE THE ACFT A 'LOOK OVER' FOR EVIDENCE OF FIRE OR SMOKE -- NONE SEEN. OFF-LOADED THE PAX FROM L1 AND HAD THEM ENTER THE TERMINAL BUILDING. A FIRE FIGHTER ENTERED THE ACFT TO INVESTIGATE. NEITHER THE FIRE FIGHTERS NOR CONTRACT MAINT COULD FIND EVIDENCE OF SMOKE OR FIRE. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH ATL MAINT, FIRE FIGHTERS, AND CONTRACT MAINT, FELT SURE THAT THE SOURCE OF SMOKE WAS THE R PACK. REGENERATED THE FLT AND BROUGHT THE ACFT INTO ATL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE R PACK OVERHEAT WAS CAUSED BY AN AUTO TEMP PACK CTLR WHICH WAS DEFERRED AND THE PACK WAS OPERATED TO TRIP TERMINATION IN MANUAL MODE.

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.