Narrative:

Flight attendant reported at cruise that they; along with a group of passenger; smelled electrical smoke in the cabin near row xx. We were at cruise at FL380 90 miles from ZZZ. The captain and the purser were trying to find the source when we decided to declare an emergency and diverted to ZZZ. Since the smell was getting stronger and origin unknown to the flight attendants and passenger; I declared an emergency per the captain's order and began a descent for ZZZ. I was PF; and the captain ran the emergency checklist and worked on finding the smoke source and briefing the passenger and the flight attendants. Shortly before landing; the purser advised the smoke smell was getting lighter in the air indicating to us that the emergency checklist must have isolated the source. After landing; fire crews boarded the aircraft and within 30 seconds had isolated and located the cause of the smoke. A passenger in seat xd had her laptop computer plugged into a power port to charge her battery and the battery itself was 'overheating/smoking.' the fire crew gave the unit to us and it was hot to the touch and had an odor of electrical smoke about it. My reason for the report is a needed change to the cabin smoke from an unknown source checklist(south). We obviously isolated the situation by turning off the power ports as part of the checklist. My concern is if a laptop is in the overhead bin and spontaneously combusts; we will never know it is not the airplane. The flight attendants or our checklist should have a place to require all passenger with battery devices of any kind locate them and inspect them during an emergency of this type. If we could isolate a cabin smoke incident to a computer vs. The aircraft; it might make the emergency more manageable. If a battery device does catch fire; once isolated; it might possibly be less of a threat to the aircraft and passenger in-flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 DIVERTS DUE TO CABIN SMOKE AND FUMES. SOURCE IDENTIFIED AFTER LNDG AS A PAX COMPUTER PLUGGED INTO ACFT AC SYSTEM.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT RPTED AT CRUISE THAT THEY; ALONG WITH A GROUP OF PAX; SMELLED ELECTRICAL SMOKE IN THE CABIN NEAR ROW XX. WE WERE AT CRUISE AT FL380 90 MILES FROM ZZZ. THE CAPT AND THE PURSER WERE TRYING TO FIND THE SOURCE WHEN WE DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO ZZZ. SINCE THE SMELL WAS GETTING STRONGER AND ORIGIN UNKNOWN TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX; I DECLARED AN EMER PER THE CAPT'S ORDER AND BEGAN A DSCNT FOR ZZZ. I WAS PF; AND THE CAPT RAN THE EMER CHKLIST AND WORKED ON FINDING THE SMOKE SOURCE AND BRIEFING THE PAX AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS. SHORTLY BEFORE LNDG; THE PURSER ADVISED THE SMOKE SMELL WAS GETTING LIGHTER IN THE AIR INDICATING TO US THAT THE EMER CHKLIST MUST HAVE ISOLATED THE SOURCE. AFTER LNDG; FIRE CREWS BOARDED THE ACFT AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS HAD ISOLATED AND LOCATED THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. A PAX IN SEAT XD HAD HER LAPTOP COMPUTER PLUGGED INTO A POWER PORT TO CHARGE HER BATTERY AND THE BATTERY ITSELF WAS 'OVERHEATING/SMOKING.' THE FIRE CREW GAVE THE UNIT TO US AND IT WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH AND HAD AN ODOR OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE ABOUT IT. MY REASON FOR THE RPT IS A NEEDED CHANGE TO THE CABIN SMOKE FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE CHKLIST(S). WE OBVIOUSLY ISOLATED THE SITUATION BY TURNING OFF THE POWER PORTS AS PART OF THE CHKLIST. MY CONCERN IS IF A LAPTOP IS IN THE OVERHEAD BIN AND SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTS; WE WILL NEVER KNOW IT IS NOT THE AIRPLANE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS OR OUR CHKLIST SHOULD HAVE A PLACE TO REQUIRE ALL PAX WITH BATTERY DEVICES OF ANY KIND LOCATE THEM AND INSPECT THEM DURING AN EMER OF THIS TYPE. IF WE COULD ISOLATE A CABIN SMOKE INCIDENT TO A COMPUTER VS. THE ACFT; IT MIGHT MAKE THE EMER MORE MANAGEABLE. IF A BATTERY DEVICE DOES CATCH FIRE; ONCE ISOLATED; IT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE LESS OF A THREAT TO THE ACFT AND PAX INFLT.

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.