Narrative:

Approximately 15 mins after takeoff as I was taking beverage/meal preferences in first class, flight attendant #5 approached me at the first class divider curtain and told me that there was a strong electrical odor in the aft cabin and that he thought he had heard 3-4 chimes. He also stated that the smell was strong in the first class cabin. I did not smell anything nor did I hear any chimes. I immediately went to the cockpit where I noticed smoke coming out of the window next to the first officer. The first officer had his manual on his lap and was very calm. The captain's demeanor was of a person faced with a challenge and the responsibility of making several decisions within a short period of time. He appeared focused both on dealing with the problem at hand and communicating to me that we as flight attendants needed to put our training into gear. Also, in the cockpit were 2 jump seat riders. One was an ATC controller from mia, the other was a cockpit crew member. While I was standing in the cockpit, the first officer indicated that he could see smoke outside his window. The captain told me that we were going back. Initially he wasn't sure to what airport. He mentioned ontario, then said that we would go back to lax. Sensing their concern with trying to solve the problem, I said that I would inform the other flight attendants of what was going on and prepare the cabin for landing. I gathered all the flight attendants in the first class galley, told them what was going on in the cockpit, and that we were going back to lax. I told the flight attendants to get their manuals and remove their emergency checklists. The flight attendants were shaken, but calmly proceeded through the tasks necessary to prepare the cabin for landing. The captain made a PA. I did not hear exactly what he said. The cabin became very, very quiet. Some people were crying, some holding hands, some gazed out the windows, others buried their heads in books or magazines, and others used the phones. Once the cabin was secured, I went to the cockpit to advise the captain of the status of the cabin and passenger and to see if any progress had been made in alleviating the problem. The captain wanted me to stay in the cockpit. The 2 jump seat riders had demanded oxygen masks on. I think the first officer had one on also, but the captain did not. The smoke was still apparent, and the smell and fumes were more intense. I immediately felt my throat becoming sore and my head began throbbing. I was beginning to feel as though I was going to faint. I told the captain I was going to faint unless I either grabbed an oxygen mask or left the cockpit. He told me I could leave the cockpit. The flight attendants were visible in the aisles during this time offering comfort and soothing words as necessary. Flight attendant #2 broke out in hives. Flight attendants #3 and #4 both felt the fumes in their throat and their heads were throbbing. I went into the cockpit again and was told that it looked like the problem was under control and all was well. We landed without incident and proceeded to the gate. Obviously, I am not qualified to address the questions concerning the chain of events. On the human performance considerations side, obviously the cockpit did an outstanding job since we landed without incident, and the flight attendants did an outstanding job by handling themselves and their duties in a very professional manner. Ground personnel did not want the passenger to deplane. We stayed on the plane with the passenger for about 1 hour. It was believed that the airplane could be repaired. 4 of the 5 flight attendants were suffering with headaches and sore throats and felt emotionally drained. We spoke with a supervisor and indicated that we did not want to continue flying that day. The 5TH flight attendant had plans in miami and wanted to continue. The plane was eventually taken OTS after much back and forth on whether it could or could not be fixed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW HAD ELECTRICAL SMOKE, FUMES IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN DURING CLB IN ZLA CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APPROX 15 MINS AFTER TKOF AS I WAS TAKING BEVERAGE/MEAL PREFERENCES IN FIRST CLASS, FLT ATTENDANT #5 APCHED ME AT THE FIRST CLASS DIVIDER CURTAIN AND TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A STRONG ELECTRICAL ODOR IN THE AFT CABIN AND THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD HEARD 3-4 CHIMES. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE SMELL WAS STRONG IN THE FIRST CLASS CABIN. I DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING NOR DID I HEAR ANY CHIMES. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE COCKPIT WHERE I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE WINDOW NEXT TO THE FO. THE FO HAD HIS MANUAL ON HIS LAP AND WAS VERY CALM. THE CAPT'S DEMEANOR WAS OF A PERSON FACED WITH A CHALLENGE AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING SEVERAL DECISIONS WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. HE APPEARED FOCUSED BOTH ON DEALING WITH THE PROB AT HAND AND COMMUNICATING TO ME THAT WE AS FLT ATTENDANTS NEEDED TO PUT OUR TRAINING INTO GEAR. ALSO, IN THE COCKPIT WERE 2 JUMP SEAT RIDERS. ONE WAS AN ATC CTLR FROM MIA, THE OTHER WAS A COCKPIT CREW MEMBER. WHILE I WAS STANDING IN THE COCKPIT, THE FO INDICATED THAT HE COULD SEE SMOKE OUTSIDE HIS WINDOW. THE CAPT TOLD ME THAT WE WERE GOING BACK. INITIALLY HE WASN'T SURE TO WHAT ARPT. HE MENTIONED ONTARIO, THEN SAID THAT WE WOULD GO BACK TO LAX. SENSING THEIR CONCERN WITH TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROB, I SAID THAT I WOULD INFORM THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AND PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG. I GATHERED ALL THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY, TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE COCKPIT, AND THAT WE WERE GOING BACK TO LAX. I TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO GET THEIR MANUALS AND REMOVE THEIR EMER CHKLISTS. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SHAKEN, BUT CALMLY PROCEEDED THROUGH THE TASKS NECESSARY TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG. THE CAPT MADE A PA. I DID NOT HEAR EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID. THE CABIN BECAME VERY, VERY QUIET. SOME PEOPLE WERE CRYING, SOME HOLDING HANDS, SOME GAZED OUT THE WINDOWS, OTHERS BURIED THEIR HEADS IN BOOKS OR MAGAZINES, AND OTHERS USED THE PHONES. ONCE THE CABIN WAS SECURED, I WENT TO THE COCKPIT TO ADVISE THE CAPT OF THE STATUS OF THE CABIN AND PAX AND TO SEE IF ANY PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN ALLEVIATING THE PROB. THE CAPT WANTED ME TO STAY IN THE COCKPIT. THE 2 JUMP SEAT RIDERS HAD DEMANDED OXYGEN MASKS ON. I THINK THE FO HAD ONE ON ALSO, BUT THE CAPT DID NOT. THE SMOKE WAS STILL APPARENT, AND THE SMELL AND FUMES WERE MORE INTENSE. I IMMEDIATELY FELT MY THROAT BECOMING SORE AND MY HEAD BEGAN THROBBING. I WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL AS THOUGH I WAS GOING TO FAINT. I TOLD THE CAPT I WAS GOING TO FAINT UNLESS I EITHER GRABBED AN OXYGEN MASK OR LEFT THE COCKPIT. HE TOLD ME I COULD LEAVE THE COCKPIT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE VISIBLE IN THE AISLES DURING THIS TIME OFFERING COMFORT AND SOOTHING WORDS AS NECESSARY. FLT ATTENDANT #2 BROKE OUT IN HIVES. FLT ATTENDANTS #3 AND #4 BOTH FELT THE FUMES IN THEIR THROAT AND THEIR HEADS WERE THROBBING. I WENT INTO THE COCKPIT AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE PROB WAS UNDER CTL AND ALL WAS WELL. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND PROCEEDED TO THE GATE. OBVIOUSLY, I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. ON THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS SIDE, OBVIOUSLY THE COCKPIT DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB SINCE WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB BY HANDLING THEMSELVES AND THEIR DUTIES IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. GND PERSONNEL DID NOT WANT THE PAX TO DEPLANE. WE STAYED ON THE PLANE WITH THE PAX FOR ABOUT 1 HR. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE AIRPLANE COULD BE REPAIRED. 4 OF THE 5 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SUFFERING WITH HEADACHES AND SORE THROATS AND FELT EMOTIONALLY DRAINED. WE SPOKE WITH A SUPVR AND INDICATED THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE FLYING THAT DAY. THE 5TH FLT ATTENDANT HAD PLANS IN MIAMI AND WANTED TO CONTINUE. THE PLANE WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN OTS AFTER MUCH BACK AND FORTH ON WHETHER IT COULD OR COULD NOT BE FIXED.

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.