Narrative:

The flight attendant called me from the first class cabin and notified me of a smell in the cabin. As she entered the cockpit, I took a look back and observed that there was no smoke anywhere in the cabin. We then checked all indications in the cockpit, including circuit breakers, and found everything normal. We established communications with all stations and they too verified that a smell was in the cabin. I then sent first officer to assess the situation. I donned my oxygen mask and he went to check. When he came back he notified me of a strong electrical smell, but no smoke. Using the smoke identify/removal checklist, we isolated the utility busses and the recirculation fans. We then checked with the flight attendants to see if there was any change in the severity of the smell. I once again checked with the cabin to see if we had isolated the cause. The aft cabin had cleared somewhat, but the mid and forward were about the same. My concern increased when one of the flight attendants began to complain about eye irritation. With that in mind, I decided to declare an emergency and land in lbb. First officer got the clearance and gave the required information to ATC. We methodically went through the emergency descent checklist. We were cleared to descend to 8000 ft and direct lbb. The landing, rollout, and taxi were uneventful. We were assigned gate X in lbb. We checked the status of the smell and the flight attendants reported that it was virtually all gone. I felt that we had successfully isolated the cause of the smell and decided that an emergency evacuate/evacuation would not be necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL SMELL IN CABIN CAUSED ACFT TO LAND AT NEAREST ARPT.

Narrative: THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ME FROM THE FIRST CLASS CABIN AND NOTIFIED ME OF A SMELL IN THE CABIN. AS SHE ENTERED THE COCKPIT, I TOOK A LOOK BACK AND OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE ANYWHERE IN THE CABIN. WE THEN CHKED ALL INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT, INCLUDING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, AND FOUND EVERYTHING NORMAL. WE ESTABLISHED COMS WITH ALL STATIONS AND THEY TOO VERIFIED THAT A SMELL WAS IN THE CABIN. I THEN SENT FO TO ASSESS THE SIT. I DONNED MY OXYGEN MASK AND HE WENT TO CHK. WHEN HE CAME BACK HE NOTIFIED ME OF A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL, BUT NO SMOKE. USING THE SMOKE IDENT/REMOVAL CHKLIST, WE ISOLATED THE UTILITY BUSSES AND THE RECIRCULATION FANS. WE THEN CHKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY CHANGE IN THE SEVERITY OF THE SMELL. I ONCE AGAIN CHKED WITH THE CABIN TO SEE IF WE HAD ISOLATED THE CAUSE. THE AFT CABIN HAD CLRED SOMEWHAT, BUT THE MID AND FORWARD WERE ABOUT THE SAME. MY CONCERN INCREASED WHEN ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS BEGAN TO COMPLAIN ABOUT EYE IRRITATION. WITH THAT IN MIND, I DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND LAND IN LBB. FO GOT THE CLRNC AND GAVE THE REQUIRED INFO TO ATC. WE METHODICALLY WENT THROUGH THE EMER DSCNT CHKLIST. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 8000 FT AND DIRECT LBB. THE LNDG, ROLLOUT, AND TAXI WERE UNEVENTFUL. WE WERE ASSIGNED GATE X IN LBB. WE CHKED THE STATUS OF THE SMELL AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT IT WAS VIRTUALLY ALL GONE. I FELT THAT WE HAD SUCCESSFULLY ISOLATED THE CAUSE OF THE SMELL AND DECIDED THAT AN EMER EVAC WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY.

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.