Narrative:

I smelled hot or burning plastic. I looked around and others were noticing it too. I got up and went to the galley to report it. There were 2 flight attendants in the galley. I told them I smelled something burning. They told me it was just the oven. I returned to my seat, but the smell continued. I got up to try and determine the cause. As soon as I reached the galley door, the smell ceased. I could tell the flight attendants were preparing their own meal. I returned to my seat. The smell got stronger after a few mins. I again got up to report it to the flight attendants. They had just removed a plastic tray of macaroni and cheese in a black plastic container with a clear plastic top. The plastic on top had charred black. They said it had just toasted some food that had touched it. I returned to my seat and the smell subsided. This was on flight xx on nov/xa/00. I felt there was a real danger of the plastic container igniting and feel confident this activity is not permitted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the flight attendants reacted to his last inquiry like little kids would when they got their hands stuck in a cookie jar. He felt they were embarrassed about their mistake of cooking a non airline packaged meal that was not meant to be put in the airplane's ovens. The package was like a smoldering fire and was smoky. The reporter stated that he got the ASRS reporting form off the internet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX RPT, B727-200. MSP-LAX. CABIN ATTENDANT COOKING OWN NON AIRLINE MEAL WITH PLASTIC COVERING CREATED SMOLDERING SMELL IN OVEN DRAWER. PAX VERY CONCERNED.

Narrative: I SMELLED HOT OR BURNING PLASTIC. I LOOKED AROUND AND OTHERS WERE NOTICING IT TOO. I GOT UP AND WENT TO THE GALLEY TO RPT IT. THERE WERE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE GALLEY. I TOLD THEM I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST THE OVEN. I RETURNED TO MY SEAT, BUT THE SMELL CONTINUED. I GOT UP TO TRY AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE. AS SOON AS I REACHED THE GALLEY DOOR, THE SMELL CEASED. I COULD TELL THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE PREPARING THEIR OWN MEAL. I RETURNED TO MY SEAT. THE SMELL GOT STRONGER AFTER A FEW MINS. I AGAIN GOT UP TO RPT IT TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEY HAD JUST REMOVED A PLASTIC TRAY OF MACARONI AND CHEESE IN A BLACK PLASTIC CONTAINER WITH A CLEAR PLASTIC TOP. THE PLASTIC ON TOP HAD CHARRED BLACK. THEY SAID IT HAD JUST TOASTED SOME FOOD THAT HAD TOUCHED IT. I RETURNED TO MY SEAT AND THE SMELL SUBSIDED. THIS WAS ON FLT XX ON NOV/XA/00. I FELT THERE WAS A REAL DANGER OF THE PLASTIC CONTAINER IGNITING AND FEEL CONFIDENT THIS ACTIVITY IS NOT PERMITTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS REACTED TO HIS LAST INQUIRY LIKE LITTLE KIDS WOULD WHEN THEY GOT THEIR HANDS STUCK IN A COOKIE JAR. HE FELT THEY WERE EMBARRASSED ABOUT THEIR MISTAKE OF COOKING A NON AIRLINE PACKAGED MEAL THAT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE PUT IN THE AIRPLANE'S OVENS. THE PACKAGE WAS LIKE A SMOLDERING FIRE AND WAS SMOKY. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE GOT THE ASRS RPTING FORM OFF THE INTERNET.

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.