Flight attendant report regarding an MD80 on which there was an electrical smell although no smoke i...

Attributes
ACN	425629
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : psp
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	425629
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other

Narrative:

Immediately after takeoff, I (flight attendant #3) noticed a smell in my cabin area that was not normal. It was an electrical burning odor. No fumes or smoke were present. I asked flight attendant #1, who shared my jump seat, if she noticed it. She did, and then decided it was urgent enough to break sterile cockpit to inform them. The pilots decided to make an emergency landing back to psp. The flight attendants in the back did also smell this abnormal odor. The smell dissipated before we touched back in psp (approximately 20 mins later). Then, when we landed, the same odor returned, even more obvious than previously before. We parked away from the gate area but there was no fire or other reason to evacuate/evacuation. The plane was taken over to the gate area. After ground personnel inspected the exterior, the passenger were deplaned and the aircraft was removed from service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN MD80 ON WHICH THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SMELL ALTHOUGH NO SMOKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. IT WAS RPTED TO THE FLC AND EMER DECLARED AND RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, I (FLT ATTENDANT #3) NOTICED A SMELL IN MY CABIN AREA THAT WAS NOT NORMAL. IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR. NO FUMES OR SMOKE WERE PRESENT. I ASKED FLT ATTENDANT #1, WHO SHARED MY JUMP SEAT, IF SHE NOTICED IT. SHE DID, AND THEN DECIDED IT WAS URGENT ENOUGH TO BREAK STERILE COCKPIT TO INFORM THEM. THE PLTS DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG BACK TO PSP. THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK DID ALSO SMELL THIS ABNORMAL ODOR. THE SMELL DISSIPATED BEFORE WE TOUCHED BACK IN PSP (APPROX 20 MINS LATER). THEN, WHEN WE LANDED, THE SAME ODOR RETURNED, EVEN MORE OBVIOUS THAN PREVIOUSLY BEFORE. WE PARKED AWAY FROM THE GATE AREA BUT THERE WAS NO FIRE OR OTHER REASON TO EVAC. THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OVER TO THE GATE AREA. AFTER GND PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE EXTERIOR, THE PAX WERE DEPLANED AND THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC.

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.

Flight attendant report regarding an MD80 on which there was an electrical smell although no smoke immediately after takeoff. It was reported to the flight crew and emergency declared and return to departure airport.