Narrative:

Climbing out crew noticed a strange odor throughout the airplane. We leveled for a period of time at 12000 ft to attempt locating the source and assess our situation. The odor had dissipated and was no longer evident. We decided to proceed on course and were given climb clearance to FL360. Passing FL240 we were notified by a flight attendant in the aft galley 'the odor was back accompanied by a haze or thin smoke throughout the cabin; stronger than ever; smelled like burning plastic; and the smoke was increasing'. A decision was made to divert to the nearest suitable location. The smoke/fumesecond officerdor qrc was accomplished; an emergency was declared with ATC. We notified dispatch and requested crash fire rescue equipment equipment to be standing by. On descent; the odor/smoke diminished/dissipated. We briefed the purser for a cabin advisory only. We landed without incident. Landing was overweight by 1400 pounds. No reoccurrence of smoke/odor was noted on the ground. Taxied to gate and deplaned normally.callback conversation with reporter acn 727654 revealed the following information: reporter stated post flight inspection by maintenance revealed that a large plastic trash bag had been ingested by the right engine. Part of the bag had completely covered the oil cooler and the remainder had gone into the compressor; causing the smell in the cabin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW DIVERTS AFTER BURNING PLASTIC SMELL IS RPTED IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: CLIMBING OUT CREW NOTICED A STRANGE ODOR THROUGHOUT THE AIRPLANE. WE LEVELED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT 12000 FT TO ATTEMPT LOCATING THE SOURCE AND ASSESS OUR SITUATION. THE ODOR HAD DISSIPATED AND WAS NO LONGER EVIDENT. WE DECIDED TO PROCEED ON COURSE AND WERE GIVEN CLIMB CLEARANCE TO FL360. PASSING FL240 WE WERE NOTIFIED BY A FLIGHT ATTENDANT IN THE AFT GALLEY 'THE ODOR WAS BACK ACCOMPANIED BY A HAZE OR THIN SMOKE THROUGHOUT THE CABIN; STRONGER THAN EVER; SMELLED LIKE BURNING PLASTIC; AND THE SMOKE WAS INCREASING'. A DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE LOCATION. THE SMOKE/FUMES/ODOR QRC WAS ACCOMPLISHED; AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATC. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND REQUESTED CFR EQUIPMENT TO BE STANDING BY. ON DESCENT; THE ODOR/SMOKE DIMINISHED/DISSIPATED. WE BRIEFED THE PURSER FOR A CABIN ADVISORY ONLY. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. LANDING WAS OVERWEIGHT BY 1400 LBS. NO REOCCURRENCE OF SMOKE/ODOR WAS NOTED ON THE GROUND. TAXIED TO GATE AND DEPLANED NORMALLY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 727654 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED POST FLT INSPECTION BY MAINT REVEALED THAT A LARGE PLASTIC TRASH BAG HAD BEEN INGESTED BY THE R ENGINE. PART OF THE BAG HAD COMPLETELY COVERED THE OIL COOLER AND THE REMAINDER HAD GONE INTO THE COMPRESSOR; CAUSING THE SMELL IN THE CABIN.

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.