Narrative:

Climbing out at approximately FL260 approximately 68 NM west of ZZZ; flight attendant called cockpit to report smoke in aft galley. Declared emergency. Requested emergency equipment. Returned to ZZZ. Briefed flight attendants. Accomplished appropriate checklists including overweight landing checklist. Sent ACARS message to dispatch. Accomplished smooth landing. Exited taxiway into pad where emergency equipment was waiting. Called cabin to evaluate if evacuate/evacuation was necessary. Flight attendant reported no signs of smoke in cabin. Taxied to gate and deplaned passenger. Met with maintenance and accomplished all required paperwork. Callback conversation with reporter 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 mgmt 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: AN A320 EXPERIENCED SMOKE AND A BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL IN THE AFT CABIN. AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED WITH RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: CLBING OUT AT APPROX FL260 APPROX 68 NM W OF ZZZ; FLT ATTENDANT CALLED COCKPIT TO RPT SMOKE IN AFT GALLEY. DECLARED EMER. REQUESTED EMER EQUIP. RETURNED TO ZZZ. BRIEFED FLT ATTENDANTS. ACCOMPLISHED APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS INCLUDING OVERWT LNDG CHKLIST. SENT ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH. ACCOMPLISHED SMOOTH LNDG. EXITED TXWY INTO PAD WHERE EMER EQUIP WAS WAITING. CALLED CABIN TO EVALUATE IF EVAC WAS NECESSARY. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED NO SIGNS OF SMOKE IN CABIN. TAXIED TO GATE AND DEPLANED PAX. MET WITH MAINT AND ACCOMPLISHED ALL REQUIRED PAPERWORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND A JUMPSEATING PILOT IN THE ACFT'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 ACFT WAS IN JEOPARDY OR NOT. THE CREW WAS CRITICIZED BY MGMT FOR NOT COORDINATING WITH MAINTENANCE AND DISPATCH PRIOR TO RETURNING. THE REPORTER 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.