Narrative:

Just after I made my PA (first chime after takeoff at 10000 ft) and had unfastened my seat belt to get out of my jump seat, we experienced the following: disco-type lights flashing throughout the cabin. The red aisle emergency lights were flashing. Heard a continuous noise from the cockpit (the machine that makes the 'machine gun' type sound.) at that time, I unlocked the cockpit door and went in. I asked the captain if we were experiencing an emergency. Things were very intense in the cockpit -- the pilots were on the radio trying to get clearance for an emergency landing in sna or lax. I asked the captain if we needed to prepare for an emergency landing/evacuate/evacuation. The captain said 'yes.' I attempted to get more information, but it was obvious they were too involved with the problem. Then, the captain said, 'prepare for an emergency landing -- you have 15 mins.' when I left the cockpit all 3 flight attendants were in the forward galley with their safety manuals. I told them the captain hadn't been able to tell me what the problem was or give me any information, except to prepare for an emergency landing (with possible evacuate/evacuation) and we had 15 mins. I retrieved my safety manual to begin the emergency/demonstration PA. About that time the captain made a PA that we would prepare the cabin for an emergency landing back to orange county. I made the emergency PA and the other flight attendants demonstrated exits, doors, brace and alternate brace position, seat belts. Told the passenger to remain seated till we came to a complete stop, then follow directions from the flight attendants, etc. The captain came on the PA and said '4 mins.' I called the flight attendants in the back to see how they were doing on their preparations (they said they were prepared). We didn't get through all the steps -- we were up to 'reseat passenger closer to exits.' I looked out in the aisle and didn't see anyone up, but the flight attendant. I turned the lights off so we could get our eyes adjusted to the dark and so the flight attendants could have time to prepare mentally in the event an evacuate/evacuation was necessary. We landed without further problems, and it was not necessary to evacuate/evacuation. There was no injury to passenger or crew. The captain made a PA that the fire department would be coming onboard. (They later came onboard.) the agents came on and told the passenger to stay on the aircraft, so maintenance could check it out. Not long after that (after maintenance arrived) the agents made another PA to deplane (rebook them on another flight, etc). After everyone deplaned, the captain debriefed the flight attendants and told us the incident happened at 11000 ft. He said he didn't know what the problem was (other than it was electrical, which had been obvious to everyone). We were told it was a serious problem. They were afraid fire was going to break out, due to the electrical malfunction. Flight had been canceled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD90, SNA-RNO. CLBOUT AT 11000 FT. EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBS. EMER DECLARED. RETURN TO SNA. NO EVAC NEEDED. FLT CANCELED.

Narrative: JUST AFTER I MADE MY PA (FIRST CHIME AFTER TKOF AT 10000 FT) AND HAD UNFASTENED MY SEAT BELT TO GET OUT OF MY JUMP SEAT, WE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING: DISCO-TYPE LIGHTS FLASHING THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. THE RED AISLE EMER LIGHTS WERE FLASHING. HEARD A CONTINUOUS NOISE FROM THE COCKPIT (THE MACHINE THAT MAKES THE 'MACHINE GUN' TYPE SOUND.) AT THAT TIME, I UNLOCKED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND WENT IN. I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE WERE EXPERIENCING AN EMER. THINGS WERE VERY INTENSE IN THE COCKPIT -- THE PLTS WERE ON THE RADIO TRYING TO GET CLRNC FOR AN EMER LNDG IN SNA OR LAX. I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR AN EMER LNDG/EVAC. THE CAPT SAID 'YES.' I ATTEMPTED TO GET MORE INFO, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY WERE TOO INVOLVED WITH THE PROB. THEN, THE CAPT SAID, 'PREPARE FOR AN EMER LNDG -- YOU HAVE 15 MINS.' WHEN I LEFT THE COCKPIT ALL 3 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE FORWARD GALLEY WITH THEIR SAFETY MANUALS. I TOLD THEM THE CAPT HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT THE PROB WAS OR GIVE ME ANY INFO, EXCEPT TO PREPARE FOR AN EMER LNDG (WITH POSSIBLE EVAC) AND WE HAD 15 MINS. I RETRIEVED MY SAFETY MANUAL TO BEGIN THE EMER/DEMO PA. ABOUT THAT TIME THE CAPT MADE A PA THAT WE WOULD PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EMER LNDG BACK TO ORANGE COUNTY. I MADE THE EMER PA AND THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS DEMONSTRATED EXITS, DOORS, BRACE AND ALTERNATE BRACE POS, SEAT BELTS. TOLD THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED TILL WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS, ETC. THE CAPT CAME ON THE PA AND SAID '4 MINS.' I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK TO SEE HOW THEY WERE DOING ON THEIR PREPARATIONS (THEY SAID THEY WERE PREPARED). WE DIDN'T GET THROUGH ALL THE STEPS -- WE WERE UP TO 'RESEAT PAX CLOSER TO EXITS.' I LOOKED OUT IN THE AISLE AND DIDN'T SEE ANYONE UP, BUT THE FLT ATTENDANT. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF SO WE COULD GET OUR EYES ADJUSTED TO THE DARK AND SO THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULD HAVE TIME TO PREPARE MENTALLY IN THE EVENT AN EVAC WAS NECESSARY. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS, AND IT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO EVAC. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO PAX OR CREW. THE CAPT MADE A PA THAT THE FIRE DEPT WOULD BE COMING ONBOARD. (THEY LATER CAME ONBOARD.) THE AGENTS CAME ON AND TOLD THE PAX TO STAY ON THE ACFT, SO MAINT COULD CHK IT OUT. NOT LONG AFTER THAT (AFTER MAINT ARRIVED) THE AGENTS MADE ANOTHER PA TO DEPLANE (REBOOK THEM ON ANOTHER FLT, ETC). AFTER EVERYONE DEPLANED, THE CAPT DEBRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TOLD US THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT 11000 FT. HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROB WAS (OTHER THAN IT WAS ELECTRICAL, WHICH HAD BEEN OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE). WE WERE TOLD IT WAS A SERIOUS PROB. THEY WERE AFRAID FIRE WAS GOING TO BREAK OUT, DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. FLT HAD BEEN CANCELED.

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.