A B777 on overwater flight declared an emergency and diverted due to electrical burning smell in aft...

Attributes
ACN	647873
Time
Date	200502
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	NF
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzzz.artcc tower : sat.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 16 flight attendant time total : 16 flight attendant time type : 70
ASRS Report	647873
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Approximately 2 and half hours into the flight I got a call from the flight attendants in the back galley (I was the purser) stating that they smelled a strong electrical burning smell in the 4R door area. They felt they ruled out the smell coming from the galley; but could not find the source. I reported the information to the captain; then turned off the power port and main power switch for the entertainment system. I went to the back to check and felt the smell was very strong and thought the captain should come check on it; which he did. First; we went through the cockpit checklist and shut off reading lights; galley power; etc. Most passenger were still asleep throughout this time. The captain informed me we would have to land in ZZZZ to try and fix the problem before continuing on. I informed the rest of the crew and we started to prepare the galleys; etc; for landing. I then met with the pilots in the cockpit and discussed how much time we had to land (1 hour 15 min); evacuation would not be necessary unless the situation worsened and then we discussed whether to run the emergency checklist in the cabin. Because we didn't know where the burning smell was coming from and we still had over an hour until landing; we decided to err on the side of caution and prepare the passenger in case we ended up with fire/smoke in the cabin prior to landing. We landed without incident; and passenger deplaned at 1L door with emergency lights on. Passenger were calm. Cockpit and cabin did a great job communicating and working together. We continued on 4 and a half hours later. Seat xx power unit for entertainment system was the problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the purser reported the aft cabin attendants reported an electrical smell from the aft cabin and this was passed on to the captain. The purser immediately switched off the power port and passenger entertainment system and followed the captain to the aft cabin. They were unable to locate the source of the burning smell and the captain elected to divert. After the diversion; the problem was found under seat xx; a passenger entertainment unit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 ON OVERWATER FLT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL IN AFT CABIN. CABIN PURSER ADVISED CAPT AND THEN SWITCHED OFF ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM.

Narrative: APPROX 2 AND HALF HOURS INTO THE FLT I GOT A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK GALLEY (I WAS THE PURSER) STATING THAT THEY SMELLED A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL IN THE 4R DOOR AREA. THEY FELT THEY RULED OUT THE SMELL COMING FROM THE GALLEY; BUT COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE. I RPTED THE INFO TO THE CAPT; THEN TURNED OFF THE POWER PORT AND MAIN POWER SWITCH FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM. I WENT TO THE BACK TO CHK AND FELT THE SMELL WAS VERY STRONG AND THOUGHT THE CAPT SHOULD COME CHK ON IT; WHICH HE DID. FIRST; WE WENT THROUGH THE COCKPIT CHKLIST AND SHUT OFF READING LIGHTS; GALLEY POWER; ETC. MOST PAX WERE STILL ASLEEP THROUGHOUT THIS TIME. THE CAPT INFORMED ME WE WOULD HAVE TO LAND IN ZZZZ TO TRY AND FIX THE PROB BEFORE CONTINUING ON. I INFORMED THE REST OF THE CREW AND WE STARTED TO PREPARE THE GALLEYS; ETC; FOR LNDG. I THEN MET WITH THE PLTS IN THE COCKPIT AND DISCUSSED HOW MUCH TIME WE HAD TO LAND (1 HR 15 MIN); EVACUATION WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY UNLESS THE SIT WORSENED AND THEN WE DISCUSSED WHETHER TO RUN THE EMER CHKLIST IN THE CABIN. BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE BURNING SMELL WAS COMING FROM AND WE STILL HAD OVER AN HOUR UNTIL LNDG; WE DECIDED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND PREPARE THE PAX IN CASE WE ENDED UP WITH FIRE/SMOKE IN THE CABIN PRIOR TO LNDG. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT; AND PAX DEPLANED AT 1L DOOR WITH EMER LIGHTS ON. PAX WERE CALM. COCKPIT AND CABIN DID A GREAT JOB COMMUNICATING AND WORKING TOGETHER. WE CONTINUED ON 4 AND A HALF HOURS LATER. SEAT XX POWER UNIT FOR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM WAS THE PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PURSER RPTED THE AFT CABIN ATTENDANTS RPTED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL FROM THE AFT CABIN AND THIS WAS PASSED ON TO THE CAPT. THE PURSER IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED OFF THE POWER PORT AND PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND FOLLOWED THE CAPT TO THE AFT CABIN. THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE BURNING SMELL AND THE CAPT ELECTED TO DIVERT. AFTER THE DIVERSION; THE PROB WAS FOUND UNDER SEAT XX; A PAX ENTERTAINMENT UNIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A B777 on overwater flight declared an emergency and diverted due to electrical burning smell in aft cabin. Cabin purser advised captain and then switched off entertainment system.