A B757-200 flight is mandated to return land when cabin crew reports strong electrical odor fumes in cabin while at FL290, 40 mi west of avl, nc.

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Attributes
ACN	493328
Time
Date	200011
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : avl.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl single value : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11400 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	493328
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Approximately 40 NM west of avl at FL290 climbing, flight attendants reported an odor in the aircraft cabin from about mid cabin to aft galley, they believed to be electrical in nature. I went back and confirmed it. We advised ZTL we were declaring an emergency and returning to clt as a precaution. Should the situation have gotten worse, we could have used avl or gsp as an alternate. The captain made an overweight landing in clt and it was very smooth. We were en route from clt to sfo. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the first officer reporter stated that the cockpit crew went through the emergency checklist during the turnaround and attempted to isolate the electrical system by pulling circuit breakers to correct the electrical malfunction. Arriving at the gate in clt they found 2 FAA maintenance inspectors waiting for the flight. Company maintenance found faulted electrical wiring to one of the recirculating fans in the forward lower east&east compartment. After about a 1 1/2 hour delay, the problem was corrected, signed off and the flight again departed for sfo.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT IS MANDATED TO RETURN LAND WHEN CABIN CREW RPTS STRONG ELECTRICAL ODOR FUMES IN CABIN WHILE AT FL290, 40 MI W OF AVL, NC.

Narrative: APPROX 40 NM W OF AVL AT FL290 CLBING, FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED AN ODOR IN THE ACFT CABIN FROM ABOUT MID CABIN TO AFT GALLEY, THEY BELIEVED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. I WENT BACK AND CONFIRMED IT. WE ADVISED ZTL WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AND RETURNING TO CLT AS A PRECAUTION. SHOULD THE SIT HAVE GOTTEN WORSE, WE COULD HAVE USED AVL OR GSP AS AN ALTERNATE. THE CAPT MADE AN OVERWT LNDG IN CLT AND IT WAS VERY SMOOTH. WE WERE ENRTE FROM CLT TO SFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO RPTR STATED THAT THE COCKPIT CREW WENT THROUGH THE EMER CHKLIST DURING THE TURNAROUND AND ATTEMPTED TO ISOLATE THE ELECTRICAL SYS BY PULLING CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO CORRECT THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. ARRIVING AT THE GATE IN CLT THEY FOUND 2 FAA MAINT INSPECTORS WAITING FOR THE FLT. COMPANY MAINT FOUND FAULTED ELECTRICAL WIRING TO ONE OF THE RECIRCULATING FANS IN THE FORWARD LOWER E&E COMPARTMENT. AFTER ABOUT A 1 1/2 HR DELAY, THE PROB WAS CORRECTED, SIGNED OFF AND THE FLT AGAIN DEPARTED FOR SFO.

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.