Narrative:

At approximately the halfway point to jfk, a first class passenger came up to the galley and said that he smelled something burning. The galley curtains had been closed at this time, the flight attendants were closing the duty free carts and many passenger were sleeping. As flight attendant #2 and I went into the first class cabin indeed there was a strong smell of smoke. I figured it was probably his power port, and on my way up to the cockpit, I turned off all the power to the entertainment and power port system. When I opened the cockpit door, the captain X and first officer Y had donned oxygen and smoke goggles and smoke was pouring out of the instrument panel. At this point captain X was far too busy to really communicate with me, other than to acknowledge that I was there and that they were working on the problem. It was at least 10 mins before captain X and I were able to discuss the situation. During that time the flight attendants were absolutely fantastic dealing with a possible crisis with no real answers. The 2 cabins, at this time, most affected by the smoke and electrical burning smell, were first class and business class, yet as we all know, main cabin passenger were getting themselves involved too. All flight attendants were in their cabins calming and reassuring passenger that the captain was doing everything in his power to correct the situation. This indeed was an extremely scary time, not knowing anything. When the captain and I could talk, it was determined that we should make an emergency landing, that they felt that source of the smoke and electrical smell had been contained. The crew had turned off all extra power needed in the cabins, that there was no way to dissipate the smell and haze created by this problem and that our nearest airport was 1 1/2 mi away. That 1 1/2 hours was probably the longest 1 1/2 hours in everyone's life, yet the flight attendants remained calm and kept reassuring the passenger that the situation was contained and we would land safely. We had no lights in the cabin, galleys, or lavatories, no power in the galleys and of course we had the smell and haze created by this electrical problem. The passenger did not overreact, and no one panicked in the aircraft. I contribute this to the fact that the flight attendants were visible, that they spent time with each and every passenger and that captain X made many announcements to reassure the passenger. We did not prepare the passenger for an emergency landing. But I assure you, everyone was busy doing their 30 second review as we approached goose bay, labrador. To add to our concerns, on our approach the aircraft was hit by lightning. Although it did no damage, that I know of, it did add to the tension that was already present. What an absolutely beautiful landing captain X made and the relief everyone felt being on the ground was expressed by everyone clapping. This indeed was an outstanding job performance by captain X and first officer Y. The line of communication was definitely open, the courage, confidence and level of expertise was outstanding and the leadership skills demonstrated determined how I and the rest of the crew would react to a potentially dangerous situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B767, LHR-JFK. ELECTRICAL FIRE, SMOKE IN COCKPIT, CABIN. CAPT TURNED ELECTRICAL PWR OFF. DIVERT TO GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR. EXCELLENT PLT COM WITH PAX, CABIN ATTENDANTS.

Narrative: AT APPROX THE HALFWAY POINT TO JFK, A FIRST CLASS PAX CAME UP TO THE GALLEY AND SAID THAT HE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THE GALLEY CURTAINS HAD BEEN CLOSED AT THIS TIME, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CLOSING THE DUTY FREE CARTS AND MANY PAX WERE SLEEPING. AS FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I WENT INTO THE FIRST CLASS CABIN INDEED THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF SMOKE. I FIGURED IT WAS PROBABLY HIS PWR PORT, AND ON MY WAY UP TO THE COCKPIT, I TURNED OFF ALL THE PWR TO THE ENTERTAINMENT AND PWR PORT SYS. WHEN I OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR, THE CAPT X AND FO Y HAD DONNED OXYGEN AND SMOKE GOGGLES AND SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF THE INST PANEL. AT THIS POINT CAPT X WAS FAR TOO BUSY TO REALLY COMMUNICATE WITH ME, OTHER THAN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS THERE AND THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE PROB. IT WAS AT LEAST 10 MINS BEFORE CAPT X AND I WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE SIT. DURING THAT TIME THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC DEALING WITH A POSSIBLE CRISIS WITH NO REAL ANSWERS. THE 2 CABINS, AT THIS TIME, MOST AFFECTED BY THE SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL, WERE FIRST CLASS AND BUSINESS CLASS, YET AS WE ALL KNOW, MAIN CABIN PAX WERE GETTING THEMSELVES INVOLVED TOO. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THEIR CABINS CALMING AND REASSURING PAX THAT THE CAPT WAS DOING EVERYTHING IN HIS PWR TO CORRECT THE SIT. THIS INDEED WAS AN EXTREMELY SCARY TIME, NOT KNOWING ANYTHING. WHEN THE CAPT AND I COULD TALK, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE SHOULD MAKE AN EMER LNDG, THAT THEY FELT THAT SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL SMELL HAD BEEN CONTAINED. THE CREW HAD TURNED OFF ALL EXTRA PWR NEEDED IN THE CABINS, THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO DISSIPATE THE SMELL AND HAZE CREATED BY THIS PROB AND THAT OUR NEAREST ARPT WAS 1 1/2 MI AWAY. THAT 1 1/2 HRS WAS PROBABLY THE LONGEST 1 1/2 HRS IN EVERYONE'S LIFE, YET THE FLT ATTENDANTS REMAINED CALM AND KEPT REASSURING THE PAX THAT THE SIT WAS CONTAINED AND WE WOULD LAND SAFELY. WE HAD NO LIGHTS IN THE CABIN, GALLEYS, OR LAVATORIES, NO PWR IN THE GALLEYS AND OF COURSE WE HAD THE SMELL AND HAZE CREATED BY THIS ELECTRICAL PROB. THE PAX DID NOT OVERREACT, AND NO ONE PANICKED IN THE ACFT. I CONTRIBUTE THIS TO THE FACT THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE VISIBLE, THAT THEY SPENT TIME WITH EACH AND EVERY PAX AND THAT CAPT X MADE MANY ANNOUNCEMENTS TO REASSURE THE PAX. WE DID NOT PREPARE THE PAX FOR AN EMER LNDG. BUT I ASSURE YOU, EVERYONE WAS BUSY DOING THEIR 30 SECOND REVIEW AS WE APCHED GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR. TO ADD TO OUR CONCERNS, ON OUR APCH THE ACFT WAS HIT BY LIGHTNING. ALTHOUGH IT DID NO DAMAGE, THAT I KNOW OF, IT DID ADD TO THE TENSION THAT WAS ALREADY PRESENT. WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL LNDG CAPT X MADE AND THE RELIEF EVERYONE FELT BEING ON THE GND WAS EXPRESSED BY EVERYONE CLAPPING. THIS INDEED WAS AN OUTSTANDING JOB PERFORMANCE BY CAPT X AND FO Y. THE LINE OF COM WAS DEFINITELY OPEN, THE COURAGE, CONFIDENCE AND LEVEL OF EXPERTISE WAS OUTSTANDING AND THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS DEMONSTRATED DETERMINED HOW I AND THE REST OF THE CREW WOULD REACT TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT.

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.