Narrative:

5-8 mins after takeoff, I smelled an electrical burning smell with a slight chemical odor. I asked the #3 flight attendant if she smelled it. Reply was 'no.' I jumped up to check the cabin and found smoke in the cabin. I immediately opened cockpit door to inform of odor and smoke. They responded they just started smelling it too. I told the captain I would check the cabin and passenger. I went through the cabin and informed the #2 and #4 flight attendants of the situation. The #4 flight attendant said she checked the lavatories. I went back through the cabin and checked on passenger and the unaccompanied minors to see if they were ok, and see and feel for a heat source. I also informed the passenger who were aware of the smoke by now that we knew of the situation and everything would be fine. They (the passenger) were calm. As I headed back to the cockpit, the captain called, so I opened the door. He informed me of the emergency landing at sjc -- no evacuate/evacuation unless 'easy victor' command given, or initiate ourselves in the event of irregularities that would warrant (as we are trained). I called the #2 and #4 flight attendants, the #3 flight attendant standing next to me, and repeated all information from the captain. We landed without incident. Later (2 hours or so) my eyes burned, throat hurt and became hoarse and had bronchial irritation. I realize if there is smoke in the cabin, not knowing the source, crew members and passenger should be warned to cover their mouth so as to not inhale. We also have people with sensitive bronchial system, asthma sufferers, etc, so there should be a protocol addressed when there is smoke in the cabin. I know if it were to happen again, I will consider taking oxygen or covering my mouth with a wet cloth to reduce irritation. Everything else went fine. All crew members conducted themselves accurately. I was the first to smell the odor because I have a very sensitive sense of smell. I was just surprised that #4 flight attendant didn't see the smoke before me since she has a straight, clear shot of the whole cabin. The smoke would appear and dissipate in waves. At one point, I could only see the #4 flight attendant's face, not her clothes or hair, from the forward portion of the cabin looking aft near her jump seat (tailcone). Normally she is in full view. Supplemental information from acn 492862: we declared an emergency and returned immediately for landing in sjc. We landed overweight at 137000 pounds -- normal rate of descent and normal touchdown. The smoke dissipated during the final and there was no smoke on the ground. After landing, maintenance personnel checked aircraft and no discrepancies were found.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE CABIN ATTENDANT, PLT RPTS, MD-80. SJC-DFW. ON TKOF, SMOKE AND FUMES FILLED THE CABIN. DECLARED AN EMER, RETURNED TO SJC. CABIN ATTENDANT INJURED BY SMOKE INHALATION.

Narrative: 5-8 MINS AFTER TKOF, I SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WITH A SLIGHT CHEMICAL ODOR. I ASKED THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT IF SHE SMELLED IT. REPLY WAS 'NO.' I JUMPED UP TO CHK THE CABIN AND FOUND SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I IMMEDIATELY OPENED COCKPIT DOOR TO INFORM OF ODOR AND SMOKE. THEY RESPONDED THEY JUST STARTED SMELLING IT TOO. I TOLD THE CAPT I WOULD CHK THE CABIN AND PAX. I WENT THROUGH THE CABIN AND INFORMED THE #2 AND #4 FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE SIT. THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE CHKED THE LAVATORIES. I WENT BACK THROUGH THE CABIN AND CHKED ON PAX AND THE UNACCOMPANIED MINORS TO SEE IF THEY WERE OK, AND SEE AND FEEL FOR A HEAT SOURCE. I ALSO INFORMED THE PAX WHO WERE AWARE OF THE SMOKE BY NOW THAT WE KNEW OF THE SIT AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE. THEY (THE PAX) WERE CALM. AS I HEADED BACK TO THE COCKPIT, THE CAPT CALLED, SO I OPENED THE DOOR. HE INFORMED ME OF THE EMER LNDG AT SJC -- NO EVAC UNLESS 'EASY VICTOR' COMMAND GIVEN, OR INITIATE OURSELVES IN THE EVENT OF IRREGULARITIES THAT WOULD WARRANT (AS WE ARE TRAINED). I CALLED THE #2 AND #4 FLT ATTENDANTS, THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT STANDING NEXT TO ME, AND REPEATED ALL INFO FROM THE CAPT. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. LATER (2 HRS OR SO) MY EYES BURNED, THROAT HURT AND BECAME HOARSE AND HAD BRONCHIAL IRRITATION. I REALIZE IF THERE IS SMOKE IN THE CABIN, NOT KNOWING THE SOURCE, CREW MEMBERS AND PAX SHOULD BE WARNED TO COVER THEIR MOUTH SO AS TO NOT INHALE. WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE WITH SENSITIVE BRONCHIAL SYS, ASTHMA SUFFERERS, ETC, SO THERE SHOULD BE A PROTOCOL ADDRESSED WHEN THERE IS SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I KNOW IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN, I WILL CONSIDER TAKING OXYGEN OR COVERING MY MOUTH WITH A WET CLOTH TO REDUCE IRRITATION. EVERYTHING ELSE WENT FINE. ALL CREW MEMBERS CONDUCTED THEMSELVES ACCURATELY. I WAS THE FIRST TO SMELL THE ODOR BECAUSE I HAVE A VERY SENSITIVE SENSE OF SMELL. I WAS JUST SURPRISED THAT #4 FLT ATTENDANT DIDN'T SEE THE SMOKE BEFORE ME SINCE SHE HAS A STRAIGHT, CLR SHOT OF THE WHOLE CABIN. THE SMOKE WOULD APPEAR AND DISSIPATE IN WAVES. AT ONE POINT, I COULD ONLY SEE THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT'S FACE, NOT HER CLOTHES OR HAIR, FROM THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE CABIN LOOKING AFT NEAR HER JUMP SEAT (TAILCONE). NORMALLY SHE IS IN FULL VIEW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 492862: WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED IMMEDIATELY FOR LNDG IN SJC. WE LANDED OVERWT AT 137000 LBS -- NORMAL RATE OF DSCNT AND NORMAL TOUCHDOWN. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED DURING THE FINAL AND THERE WAS NO SMOKE ON THE GND. AFTER LNDG, MAINT PERSONNEL CHKED ACFT AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND.

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.