Narrative:

During cruise; I was notified by one of the flight attendants that there was an electrical burning odor in the approximately area of row 20 in the passenger cabin. The flight attendants were unable to locate the source or origin of the odor. The first officer was currently the PF; so I immediately initiated/accomplished the smoke/fumesecond officerdor qrc. Once accomplished; we declared an in-flight emergency with center. At the declaration of the ife; we were approximately 85 NM north of ZZZ; determined to be the nearest suitable airfield; point-in-time. I requested; and was granted by center; immediate rerte to ZZZ. While en route to ZZZ; we obtained the airfield WX; which was VFR conditions (visibility 5 SM; 3000 ft ceiling; wind 200 degrees; velocity 11 KTS); and coordination with ATC a visual approach to the nearest and most expeditious suitable runway. During the descent through 13000 ft MSL; the flight attendants reported that the odor was dissipating. With this knowledge; I briefed the flight attendants to perform a cabin advisory versus a cabin preparation. Since I was busy coordinating with ATC; dispatch; cabin crew; briefing the passenger; and accomplishing the required normal and emergency checklists; I elected to have the first officer continue as PF up to and including landing rollout; where I then took control of the aircraft just prior to runway exit. The first officer accomplished an uneventful visual approach and landing; utilizing normal procedures and SOP's. Flaps 40 degrees approach/landing and autobrakes setting 3 degrees were briefed and flown in order to expedite a runway exit plan to rendezvous with the firefighting crew for an after-landing exterior inspection (coordination prior to landing). After clearing the runway; I stopped the aircraft; shut down the engines (with APU running); then had the firefighters externally inspect the airport. After being released by the fire chief; we restarted the #1 engine; taxied to; parked; and shutdown at gate; where the passenger were uneventfully deplaned. Kudos go to ATC and approach/tower/ground and firefighters for their outstanding and timely assistance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500 FLT CREW DETECTS FUMES IN CABIN; DECLARES EMER AND DIVERTS FOR LNDG.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE; I WAS NOTIFIED BY ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR IN THE APPROX AREA OF ROW 20 IN THE PAX CABIN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OR ORIGIN OF THE ODOR. THE FO WAS CURRENTLY THE PF; SO I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED/ACCOMPLISHED THE SMOKE/FUMES/ODOR QRC. ONCE ACCOMPLISHED; WE DECLARED AN INFLT EMER WITH CTR. AT THE DECLARATION OF THE IFE; WE WERE APPROX 85 NM N OF ZZZ; DETERMINED TO BE THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRFIELD; POINT-IN-TIME. I REQUESTED; AND WAS GRANTED BY CTR; IMMEDIATE RERTE TO ZZZ. WHILE ENRTE TO ZZZ; WE OBTAINED THE AIRFIELD WX; WHICH WAS VFR CONDITIONS (VISIBILITY 5 SM; 3000 FT CEILING; WIND 200 DEGS; VELOCITY 11 KTS); AND COORD WITH ATC A VISUAL APCH TO THE NEAREST AND MOST EXPEDITIOUS SUITABLE RWY. DURING THE DSCNT THROUGH 13000 FT MSL; THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT THE ODOR WAS DISSIPATING. WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE; I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PERFORM A CABIN ADVISORY VERSUS A CABIN PREPARATION. SINCE I WAS BUSY COORDINATING WITH ATC; DISPATCH; CABIN CREW; BRIEFING THE PAX; AND ACCOMPLISHING THE REQUIRED NORMAL AND EMER CHKLISTS; I ELECTED TO HAVE THE FO CONTINUE AS PF UP TO AND INCLUDING LNDG ROLLOUT; WHERE I THEN TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT JUST PRIOR TO RWY EXIT. THE FO ACCOMPLISHED AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH AND LNDG; UTILIZING NORMAL PROCS AND SOP'S. FLAPS 40 DEGS APCH/LNDG AND AUTOBRAKES SETTING 3 DEGS WERE BRIEFED AND FLOWN IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE A RWY EXIT PLAN TO RENDEZVOUS WITH THE FIREFIGHTING CREW FOR AN AFTER-LNDG EXTERIOR INSPECTION (COORD PRIOR TO LNDG). AFTER CLEARING THE RWY; I STOPPED THE ACFT; SHUT DOWN THE ENGS (WITH APU RUNNING); THEN HAD THE FIREFIGHTERS EXTERNALLY INSPECT THE ARPT. AFTER BEING RELEASED BY THE FIRE CHIEF; WE RESTARTED THE #1 ENG; TAXIED TO; PARKED; AND SHUTDOWN AT GATE; WHERE THE PAX WERE UNEVENTFULLY DEPLANED. KUDOS GO TO ATC AND APCH/TWR/GND AND FIREFIGHTERS FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING AND TIMELY ASSISTANCE.

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.