Flight attendant report, S80, mia-yul, galley fire and smoke. Captain declared emergency. Return to ...

Attributes
ACN	451240
Time
Date	199909
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mia.tracon
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 8
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 6.5 flight attendant time total : 6.5 flight attendant time type : 40
ASRS Report	451240
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event : galley fire other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : cab #1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

5 mins after takeoff, #2 flight attendant (forward facing jump seat at tailcone exit) was pointing to something over my head -- a bin had popped open behind me. I got up, closed it, turned to situation, noticed #2 flight attendant still indicating something over my head. At the same time I noticed smoke coming from the oven across from my jump seat. I turned the oven off, smoke didn't dissipate. Went back to #2 flight attendant's jump seat. She called cockpit and #1 flight attendant. I retrieved halon from behind last row of seats. Our procedures state that we never open an oven door if an oven fire is suspected. #2 flight attendant got safety manual out to doublechk procedures. I went back to oven, still smoking. Felt door and locking mechanism -- both extremely hot, very abnormal. Pulled all circuit breakers to oven. Cockpit called, I updated them on situation. They informed us an emergency would be declared and we would return to mia. No time for planned emergency procedures. Prepared cabin for landing, returned to jump seat with halon. After landing, smoke had begun to dissipate. Cockpit taxied to gate, fire crew boarded through aft stairs. They opened oven, all food inside was black, but no flames and no more smoke. They checked oven and insulation in ceiling for damage and found none. The passenger were deplaned during this time and maintenance boarded to inspect oven. The oven was full of entrees and set for 275 degrees. Normal cooking time for a fully loaded oven at that temperature is at least 30 mins. Ovens were turned on 5 mins before takeoff and smoke was noticed 5 mins after takeoff, at which time oven was turned off. Maintenance concluded the thermostat on the oven was broken and temperatures weren't regulated causing the oven to heat to very high temperatures in a short amount of time. The oven was removed from the aircraft. The flight was rescheduled for the following morning because the cockpit crew would have been illegal to continue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, S80, MIA-YUL, GALLEY FIRE AND SMOKE. CAPT DECLARED EMER. RETURN TO MIA. FLT CANCELED. BROKEN OVEN THERMOSTAT WAS CAUSE.

Narrative: 5 MINS AFTER TKOF, #2 FLT ATTENDANT (FORWARD FACING JUMP SEAT AT TAILCONE EXIT) WAS POINTING TO SOMETHING OVER MY HEAD -- A BIN HAD POPPED OPEN BEHIND ME. I GOT UP, CLOSED IT, TURNED TO SIT, NOTICED #2 FLT ATTENDANT STILL INDICATING SOMETHING OVER MY HEAD. AT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE OVEN ACROSS FROM MY JUMP SEAT. I TURNED THE OVEN OFF, SMOKE DIDN'T DISSIPATE. WENT BACK TO #2 FLT ATTENDANT'S JUMP SEAT. SHE CALLED COCKPIT AND #1 FLT ATTENDANT. I RETRIEVED HALON FROM BEHIND LAST ROW OF SEATS. OUR PROCS STATE THAT WE NEVER OPEN AN OVEN DOOR IF AN OVEN FIRE IS SUSPECTED. #2 FLT ATTENDANT GOT SAFETY MANUAL OUT TO DOUBLECHK PROCS. I WENT BACK TO OVEN, STILL SMOKING. FELT DOOR AND LOCKING MECHANISM -- BOTH EXTREMELY HOT, VERY ABNORMAL. PULLED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO OVEN. COCKPIT CALLED, I UPDATED THEM ON SIT. THEY INFORMED US AN EMER WOULD BE DECLARED AND WE WOULD RETURN TO MIA. NO TIME FOR PLANNED EMER PROCS. PREPARED CABIN FOR LNDG, RETURNED TO JUMP SEAT WITH HALON. AFTER LNDG, SMOKE HAD BEGUN TO DISSIPATE. COCKPIT TAXIED TO GATE, FIRE CREW BOARDED THROUGH AFT STAIRS. THEY OPENED OVEN, ALL FOOD INSIDE WAS BLACK, BUT NO FLAMES AND NO MORE SMOKE. THEY CHKED OVEN AND INSULATION IN CEILING FOR DAMAGE AND FOUND NONE. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED DURING THIS TIME AND MAINT BOARDED TO INSPECT OVEN. THE OVEN WAS FULL OF ENTREES AND SET FOR 275 DEGS. NORMAL COOKING TIME FOR A FULLY LOADED OVEN AT THAT TEMP IS AT LEAST 30 MINS. OVENS WERE TURNED ON 5 MINS BEFORE TKOF AND SMOKE WAS NOTICED 5 MINS AFTER TKOF, AT WHICH TIME OVEN WAS TURNED OFF. MAINT CONCLUDED THE THERMOSTAT ON THE OVEN WAS BROKEN AND TEMPS WEREN'T REGULATED CAUSING THE OVEN TO HEAT TO VERY HIGH TEMPS IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THE OVEN WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT. THE FLT WAS RESCHEDULED FOR THE FOLLOWING MORNING BECAUSE THE COCKPIT CREW WOULD HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL TO CONTINUE.

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, S80, mia-yul, galley fire and smoke. Captain declared emergency. Return to mia. Flight canceled. Broken oven thermostat was cause.