Narrative:

While serving lunch, we heard a loud horn/alarm coming from the rear right hand side of first class. Several of us immediately converged on the area and smelled an electrical burning smell. We saw white hazy smoke coming out from under the overhead bin housing the main video equipment behind row 4H and 4J. We turned off the unit and then saw flames appear behind the video machine. We used a halon extinguisher to put out the fire. One flight attendant went to great lengths to ensure the machine was totally disabled. As a precaution, the crew turned around and returned to seattle. We prepared for an emergency landing but the landing was routine. The passenger filed off and the flight was canceled. We still have no idea what the warning horn sound was that we heard as this aircraft has no such warning system. But I feel it was critical to discovering the burning unit as quickly as we did. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the plane was grounded after return and taken the next evening for maintenance check. It was determined that the video equipment itself was the source of the smoke and fire, not the aircraft wiring. The video equipment was removed and the aircraft put back in service. Reporter knows of another flight on this aircraft type which diverted to anchorage on a flight to japan when there was smoke in the cabin. Mechanic stated it was a recirculation fan and not involved with aircraft wiring. Reporter stated that flcs and cabin crews are very cautious regarding any fire or smoke on this aircraft type because of previous incidents accidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING SMOKE AND FIRE IN THE CABIN FROM A FAULTY VIDEO SYS. VIDEO EQUIP TURNED OFF AND FIRE EXTINGUISHER USED. FLT RETURNED TO SEA.

Narrative: WHILE SERVING LUNCH, WE HEARD A LOUD HORN/ALARM COMING FROM THE REAR R HAND SIDE OF FIRST CLASS. SEVERAL OF US IMMEDIATELY CONVERGED ON THE AREA AND SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. WE SAW WHITE HAZY SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE OVERHEAD BIN HOUSING THE MAIN VIDEO EQUIP BEHIND ROW 4H AND 4J. WE TURNED OFF THE UNIT AND THEN SAW FLAMES APPEAR BEHIND THE VIDEO MACHINE. WE USED A HALON EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. ONE FLT ATTENDANT WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO ENSURE THE MACHINE WAS TOTALLY DISABLED. AS A PRECAUTION, THE CREW TURNED AROUND AND RETURNED TO SEATTLE. WE PREPARED FOR AN EMER LNDG BUT THE LNDG WAS ROUTINE. THE PAX FILED OFF AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED. WE STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE WARNING HORN SOUND WAS THAT WE HEARD AS THIS ACFT HAS NO SUCH WARNING SYS. BUT I FEEL IT WAS CRITICAL TO DISCOVERING THE BURNING UNIT AS QUICKLY AS WE DID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE PLANE WAS GNDED AFTER RETURN AND TAKEN THE NEXT EVENING FOR MAINT CHK. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VIDEO EQUIP ITSELF WAS THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AND FIRE, NOT THE ACFT WIRING. THE VIDEO EQUIP WAS REMOVED AND THE ACFT PUT BACK IN SVC. RPTR KNOWS OF ANOTHER FLT ON THIS ACFT TYPE WHICH DIVERTED TO ANCHORAGE ON A FLT TO JAPAN WHEN THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN. MECH STATED IT WAS A RECIRCULATION FAN AND NOT INVOLVED WITH ACFT WIRING. RPTR STATED THAT FLCS AND CABIN CREWS ARE VERY CAUTIOUS REGARDING ANY FIRE OR SMOKE ON THIS ACFT TYPE BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS INCIDENTS ACCIDENTS.

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.