Narrative:

Approximately 35 mins after departure; lead flight attendant called the flight deck and requested access. Upon entering the flight deck; the lead showed me two boxed meals that appeared to have been burned on one end. The lead explained that the situation was already over. She explained that the two aft flight attendants had smelled what they thought was smoke; opened the oven and found the meals in this condition. The oven circuit breaker was pulled and the meals were removed from the oven. At this time; there was no further evidence of smoke or fire. At this time I sent an ACARS message to dispatch requesting a VHF phone patch upon coast-in over msy. I then requested more information than the lead was able to give so we called another flight attendant to the deck. Upon her explanation to me; I felt it necessary to leave the flight deck and inspect the oven and the cause of the suspected fire. I found that the oven insert had no metal back on it and that the type of oven on the aircraft had exposed heating elements. It was very obvious that the new meals associated with the catering service were in cardboard boxes and when pressed against an oven heating element would create smoke and possible fire. I returned to the flight deck and called comm radio. Once in contact with them; dispatch contacted our flight and we relayed the information to the company so that immediate action could be taken to ensure that any other flts would not be put in danger. Upon arrival to ord; I made several phone calls and stayed with the aircraft until XA15 local time. A log book entry was made and maintenance was advised. These management officials took immediate action to prevent further incident to any aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 MEAL OVEN INSERT DID NOT HAVE A METAL BACK INSTALLED AND SUBSEQUENTLY BURNED TWO PAX MEAL BOXES.

Narrative: APPROX 35 MINS AFTER DEP; LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE FLT DECK AND REQUESTED ACCESS. UPON ENTERING THE FLT DECK; THE LEAD SHOWED ME TWO BOXED MEALS THAT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN BURNED ON ONE END. THE LEAD EXPLAINED THAT THE SITUATION WAS ALREADY OVER. SHE EXPLAINED THAT THE TWO AFT FLT ATTENDANTS HAD SMELLED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS SMOKE; OPENED THE OVEN AND FOUND THE MEALS IN THIS CONDITION. THE OVEN CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED AND THE MEALS WERE REMOVED FROM THE OVEN. AT THIS TIME; THERE WAS NO FURTHER EVIDENCE OF SMOKE OR FIRE. AT THIS TIME I SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH REQUESTING A VHF PHONE PATCH UPON COAST-IN OVER MSY. I THEN REQUESTED MORE INFO THAN THE LEAD WAS ABLE TO GIVE SO WE CALLED ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT TO THE DECK. UPON HER EXPLANATION TO ME; I FELT IT NECESSARY TO LEAVE THE FLT DECK AND INSPECT THE OVEN AND THE CAUSE OF THE SUSPECTED FIRE. I FOUND THAT THE OVEN INSERT HAD NO METAL BACK ON IT AND THAT THE TYPE OF OVEN ON THE ACFT HAD EXPOSED HEATING ELEMENTS. IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS THAT THE NEW MEALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CATERING SVC WERE IN CARDBOARD BOXES AND WHEN PRESSED AGAINST AN OVEN HEATING ELEMENT WOULD CREATE SMOKE AND POSSIBLE FIRE. I RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK AND CALLED COMM RADIO. ONCE IN CONTACT WITH THEM; DISPATCH CONTACTED OUR FLT AND WE RELAYED THE INFO TO THE COMPANY SO THAT IMMEDIATE ACTION COULD BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT ANY OTHER FLTS WOULD NOT BE PUT IN DANGER. UPON ARR TO ORD; I MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AND STAYED WITH THE ACFT UNTIL XA15 LOCAL TIME. A LOG BOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND MAINT WAS ADVISED. THESE MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PREVENT FURTHER INCIDENT TO ANY ACFT.

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.