Narrative:

Captain called to ask if I burned anything. He knew I was baking the cookies. After replying, 'no,' he said, 'come up to the cockpit immediately.' the smell of burning electrical wire was very strong. I said I would check the rest of the airplane. After checking lavatories and overhead bins in first class, I walked quickly to mid cabin and another flight attendant was walking quickly towards me saying the same smell was in the aft and also in the mid cabin. I reported immediately to the captain. The passenger in coach were saying their eyes were burning and they were getting headaches. The captain declared an emergency and told us we would land in cle in 6 mins. We might have to evacuate/evacuation using slides. We prepared the people as much as we could in the short time. We landed, but didn't need to evacuate/evacuation. Passenger took nothing with them and exited through jetbridge. The flight attendants and pilots remained calm. The passenger were very cooperative and deplaned quickly. They listened and didn't take anything with them. The assistants chosen to help in the evacuate/evacuation were happy to help and most cooperative. (But we ended up not evacing -- the captain made the judgement to use exit forward door.) I believe the pilots did an excellent job in deciding to land immediately. Quick, decisive action made all of the difference. People had no time to complain about the smell or become panicked because we landed so quickly. Calmness prevailed by the entire flight crew.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B757, LAX-EWR, ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL PERMEATED COCKPIT AND CABIN. CAPT DECLARED EMER. DIVERT TO CLE.

Narrative: CAPT CALLED TO ASK IF I BURNED ANYTHING. HE KNEW I WAS BAKING THE COOKIES. AFTER REPLYING, 'NO,' HE SAID, 'COME UP TO THE COCKPIT IMMEDIATELY.' THE SMELL OF BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRE WAS VERY STRONG. I SAID I WOULD CHK THE REST OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER CHKING LAVATORIES AND OVERHEAD BINS IN FIRST CLASS, I WALKED QUICKLY TO MID CABIN AND ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT WAS WALKING QUICKLY TOWARDS ME SAYING THE SAME SMELL WAS IN THE AFT AND ALSO IN THE MID CABIN. I RPTED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CAPT. THE PAX IN COACH WERE SAYING THEIR EYES WERE BURNING AND THEY WERE GETTING HEADACHES. THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND TOLD US WE WOULD LAND IN CLE IN 6 MINS. WE MIGHT HAVE TO EVAC USING SLIDES. WE PREPARED THE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS WE COULD IN THE SHORT TIME. WE LANDED, BUT DIDN'T NEED TO EVAC. PAX TOOK NOTHING WITH THEM AND EXITED THROUGH JETBRIDGE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PLTS REMAINED CALM. THE PAX WERE VERY COOPERATIVE AND DEPLANED QUICKLY. THEY LISTENED AND DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING WITH THEM. THE ASSISTANTS CHOSEN TO HELP IN THE EVAC WERE HAPPY TO HELP AND MOST COOPERATIVE. (BUT WE ENDED UP NOT EVACING -- THE CAPT MADE THE JUDGEMENT TO USE EXIT FORWARD DOOR.) I BELIEVE THE PLTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN DECIDING TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. QUICK, DECISIVE ACTION MADE ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE. PEOPLE HAD NO TIME TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SMELL OR BECOME PANICKED BECAUSE WE LANDED SO QUICKLY. CALMNESS PREVAILED BY THE ENTIRE FLC.

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.