Narrative:

On final to runway 1R at ZZZ approximately 1500 ft afe, IMC just dscnd to VMC thru the overcast layer, one of our aft flight attendant rang the cockpit and informed the captain that there was some sparking and some smoke under seat xxb. He directed the other aft flight attendant to discharge a halon bottle on the source of smoke while he was contacting us. The captain informed me of the situation and stated that I should continue the approach while he coordinated with tower, this was about 1000 ft afe. After explaining the situation to tower, he requested the fire trucks meet the aircraft on the taxiway immediately after clearing the runway. While clearing the runway on a high speed, the aft flight attendant called to report no more smoke was emanating from row xx and that the situation was under control. Upon questioning from the cockpit, the flight attendant explained that there was no more smoke in the cabin an no indication of any other arcing or sparking. The aircraft was now stopped on the high speed and surrounded by crash trucks. The captain and I agreed that the best course of action was to continue to the gate and deplane. Coordinating with ground and ramp, we proceeded to gate along with the crash crew, and advised ZZZ maintenance who advised they would have mechanics meet the aircraft at the gate. Both ZZZ and air carrier maintenance personnel were at the jetway, and inspected the aircraft following deplaning and found a chafed passenger entertainment wire under seat xxb. The wire cover insulation was charred at the point of fault. No injuries were reported and deplaning passenger remarked on the quick response and outstanding professionalism exhibited by the flight attendant's. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the burned passenger entertainment wiring was located under the seat at xxb and appeared damaged by passenger pushing carry on baggage under seat. The reporter said the wire was not properly secured and positioned out of harm's way. The reporter stated the wiring was installed by the manufacturer when the airplane was built and was original equipment. The reporter said for a small amount of wiring and insulation, a great amount of smoke was generated in the cabin. The reporter stated no circuit breakers were found tripped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 ON APCH AT 1500 FT DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO SMOKE IN THE PAX CABIN. UNDER SEAT PAX ENTERTAINMENT WIRING BURNED.

Narrative: ON FINAL TO RWY 1R AT ZZZ APPROX 1500 FT AFE, IMC JUST DSCND TO VMC THRU THE OVERCAST LAYER, ONE OF OUR AFT FA RANG THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THE CAPT THAT THERE WAS SOME SPARKING AND SOME SMOKE UNDER SEAT XXB. HE DIRECTED THE OTHER AFT FA TO DISCHARGE A HALON BOTTLE ON THE SOURCE OF SMOKE WHILE HE WAS CONTACTING US. THE CAPT INFORMED ME OF THE SITUATION AND STATED THAT I SHOULD CONTINUE THE APCH WHILE HE COORDINATED WITH TWR, THIS WAS ABOUT 1000 FT AFE. AFTER EXPLAINING THE SITUATION TO TWR, HE REQUESTED THE FIRE TRUCKS MEET THE ACFT ON THE TXWY IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLEARING THE RWY. WHILE CLEARING THE RWY ON A HIGH SPEED, THE AFT FA CALLED TO RPT NO MORE SMOKE WAS EMANATING FROM ROW XX AND THAT THE SIT WAS UNDER CTL. UPON QUESTIONING FROM THE COCKPIT, THE FA EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO MORE SMOKE IN THE CABIN AN NO INDICATION OF ANY OTHER ARCING OR SPARKING. THE ACFT WAS NOW STOPPED ON THE HIGH SPEED AND SURROUNDED BY CRASH TRUCKS. THE CAPT AND I AGREED THAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO CONTINUE TO THE GATE AND DEPLANE. COORDINATING WITH GND AND RAMP, WE PROCEEDED TO GATE ALONG WITH THE CRASH CREW, AND ADVISED ZZZ MAINT WHO ADVISED THEY WOULD HAVE MECHANICS MEET THE ACFT AT THE GATE. BOTH ZZZ AND ACR MAINT PERSONNEL WERE AT THE JETWAY, AND INSPECTED THE ACFT FOLLOWING DEPLANING AND FOUND A CHAFED PAX ENTERTAINMENT WIRE UNDER SEAT XXB. THE WIRE COVER INSULATION WAS CHARRED AT THE POINT OF FAULT. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED AND DEPLANING PAX REMARKED ON THE QUICK RESPONSE AND OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALISM EXHIBITED BY THE FA'S. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE BURNED PAX ENTERTAINMENT WIRING WAS LOCATED UNDER THE SEAT AT XXB AND APPEARED DAMAGED BY PAX PUSHING CARRY ON BAGGAGE UNDER SEAT. THE RPTR SAID THE WIRE WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED AND POSITIONED OUT OF HARM'S WAY. THE RPTR STATED THE WIRING WAS INSTALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS BUILT AND WAS ORIGINAL EQUIP. THE RPTR SAID FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF WIRING AND INSULATION, A GREAT AMOUNT OF SMOKE WAS GENERATED IN THE CABIN. THE RPTR STATED NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FOUND TRIPPED.

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.