Narrative:

On climb out from ZZZ; an aft flight attendant called the cockpit to report smoke in the vicinity of the aft galley. We declared an emergency; received an immediate clearance back to ZZZ from approximately FL260 and 68 NM west of the field. We accomplished appropriate checklists including the overweight landing checklist; sent an ACARS message to dispatch; requested crash fire rescue equipment equipment to be standing by; and expeditiously landed on runway 27L. We then exited the runway into the runway 9R pad; set the parking brake with emergency vehicles standing by while we evaluated the situation in the cabin. After the flight attendants noted the smoke had cleared we taxied to and parked at the gate.callback conversation with reporter acn 733648 revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the flight attendants and a jumpseating pilot in the aircraft's rear cabin reported a popping sound followed shortly thereafter by smoke. The smoke continued up the side walls until circuit breakers were pulled removing power from the cabin. The reporter stated this was no bagel burning in the galley; it was a real electrical smoke event. The crew treated this event as a 'land now' and returned to land as soon as possible not knowing if the aircraft was in jeopardy or not. The crew was criticized by management for not coordinating with maintenance and dispatch prior to returning. The reporter stated that the crew felt the aircraft was in danger and would have returned regardless of other inputs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 DISPATCHER LOSES OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE ACFT DUE TO FLT CREW DECLARING EMER AND LOSS OF COM.

Narrative: ON CLB OUT FROM ZZZ; AN AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT TO REPORT SMOKE IN THE VICINITY OF THE AFT GALLEY. WE DECLARED AN EMER; RECEIVED AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC BACK TO ZZZ FROM APPROX FL260 AND 68 NM W OF THE FIELD. WE ACCOMPLISHED APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS INCLUDING THE OVERWT LNDG CHKLIST; SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH; REQUESTED CFR EQUIP TO BE STANDING BY; AND EXPEDITIOUSLY LANDED ON RWY 27L. WE THEN EXITED THE RWY INTO THE RWY 9R PAD; SET THE PARKING BRAKE WITH EMER VEHICLES STANDING BY WHILE WE EVALUATED THE SITUATION IN THE CABIN. AFTER THE FLT ATTENDANTS NOTED THE SMOKE HAD CLRED WE TAXIED TO AND PARKED AT THE GATE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 733648 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND A JUMPSEATING PLT IN THE ACFT'S REAR CABIN RPTED A POPPING SOUND FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY SMOKE. THE SMOKE CONTINUED UP THE SIDE WALLS UNTIL CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED REMOVING POWER FROM THE CABIN. THE RPTR STATED THIS WAS NO BAGEL BURNING IN THE GALLEY; IT WAS A REAL ELECTRICAL SMOKE EVENT. THE CREW TREATED THIS EVENT AS A 'LAND NOW' AND RETURNED TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE NOT KNOWING IF THE ACFT WAS IN JEOPARDY OR NOT. THE CREW WAS CRITICIZED BY MANAGEMENT FOR NOT COORDINATING WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH PRIOR TO RETURNING. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE CREW FELT THE ACFT WAS IN DANGER AND WOULD HAVE RETURNED REGARDLESS OF OTHER INPUTS.

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.