Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff, I began to smell something like electrical wires burning. I called the #4 flight attendant (aft galley jumpseat) to ask her if she smelled the same thing. Just as I was speaking to her, she said 'yes,' and then it got worse. I then called the captain, who said he was aware of the situation and will callback. I asked the #4 flight attendant to go tell the #1 flight attendant (who was in the aisle of first class) to turn off the seat power outlets. The captain overheard me telling the #2 flight attendant, and said over the interphone that was not the problem. The airplane/captain seemed to be pwring the engines up and down. At this time, the scent of burning would also rise and fall. The captain called back. I picked up. He started to say that we were going to make an emergency landing. Then, the #1 flight attendant got on the phone and he had to repeat his conversation, telling us the 'test' procedures to do. He told us to use the aft door with stairs, in the event there was an evacuate/evacuation. We prepared the cabin for landing and took our jumpseats. I did tell the 2 passenger that were at the back of the plane not to use the emergency exit that I was at, in the event of an evacuate/evacuation. We landed and fire trucks met the plane. No smell of smoke or burning. We were cleared to go to a gate. The crew were very professional throughout the incident. Captain was exceptional on his procedures.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-S80 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED ELECTRICAL SMELL TO CAPT, WHO RETURNED TO LAND AT DFW.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, I BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING LIKE ELECTRICAL WIRES BURNING. I CALLED THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT (AFT GALLEY JUMPSEAT) TO ASK HER IF SHE SMELLED THE SAME THING. JUST AS I WAS SPEAKING TO HER, SHE SAID 'YES,' AND THEN IT GOT WORSE. I THEN CALLED THE CAPT, WHO SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE SIT AND WILL CALLBACK. I ASKED THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT TO GO TELL THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT (WHO WAS IN THE AISLE OF FIRST CLASS) TO TURN OFF THE SEAT PWR OUTLETS. THE CAPT OVERHEARD ME TELLING THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT, AND SAID OVER THE INTERPHONE THAT WAS NOT THE PROB. THE AIRPLANE/CAPT SEEMED TO BE PWRING THE ENGINES UP AND DOWN. AT THIS TIME, THE SCENT OF BURNING WOULD ALSO RISE AND FALL. THE CAPT CALLED BACK. I PICKED UP. HE STARTED TO SAY THAT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG. THEN, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT GOT ON THE PHONE AND HE HAD TO REPEAT HIS CONVERSATION, TELLING US THE 'TEST' PROCS TO DO. HE TOLD US TO USE THE AFT DOOR WITH STAIRS, IN THE EVENT THERE WAS AN EVAC. WE PREPARED THE CABIN FOR LNDG AND TOOK OUR JUMPSEATS. I DID TELL THE 2 PAX THAT WERE AT THE BACK OF THE PLANE NOT TO USE THE EMER EXIT THAT I WAS AT, IN THE EVENT OF AN EVAC. WE LANDED AND FIRE TRUCKS MET THE PLANE. NO SMELL OF SMOKE OR BURNING. WE WERE CLRED TO GO TO A GATE. THE CREW WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT. CAPT WAS EXCEPTIONAL ON HIS PROCS.

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.