Narrative:

Aircraft was completing its IFR climb to cruise altitude (FL210). While passing through 17000 ft MSL captain and first officer idented a faint odor; similar to propane; which was initially attributed to environmental sources; exterior to the aircraft (ie; refineries). Shortly thereafter; a flight attendant from the aft jump seat contacted the captain via interphone to report smelling a faint burning smell from the tail compartment. By this time; the smell previously idented in the flight deck had dissipated. Flight attendant reported no visual indications in the cabin or via the tail compartment porthole of any smoke or fire. Captain asked questions about the status of the aft lavatories and aft galley to help ascertain source of odor. Flight attendant maintained that the tail compartment was the source in her opinion. No heat was detected in aft cabin door or floor area. Captain directed the flight attendant to monitor the situation; and to see if the odor might dissipate once cruise power was established. There was no additional odor detected in the flight deck for remainder of flight; but the flight attendants continued to report the consistent presence of burning odor; but now also from the forward lavatory area; aft galley; and vicinity of row 14 (captain's side) overhead area. Captain initiated QRH procedures for 'smoke or fumes air conditioning' while first officer assumed external radio communications. Once it was clear the steps to isolate the potential source of fumes was not being successful; coupled with ATC delaying vectors for our destination (ZZZ); captain declared an 'emergency' for priority handling to ZZZ. Approach control cleared us direct to ZZZ and the visual. Approach/landing uneventful; with priority taxi granted to the gate. No injuries reported. Source of fumes currently being investigated by company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUMES AND ODORS IN CABIN AND COCKPIT OF MD88 RESULTS IN EMERGENCY DIVERSION ENROUTE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS COMPLETING ITS IFR CLB TO CRUISE ALT (FL210). WHILE PASSING THROUGH 17000 FT MSL CAPT AND FO IDENTED A FAINT ODOR; SIMILAR TO PROPANE; WHICH WAS INITIALLY ATTRIBUTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES; EXTERIOR TO THE ACFT (IE; REFINERIES). SHORTLY THEREAFTER; A FLT ATTENDANT FROM THE AFT JUMP SEAT CONTACTED THE CAPT VIA INTERPHONE TO RPT SMELLING A FAINT BURNING SMELL FROM THE TAIL COMPARTMENT. BY THIS TIME; THE SMELL PREVIOUSLY IDENTED IN THE FLT DECK HAD DISSIPATED. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED NO VISUAL INDICATIONS IN THE CABIN OR VIA THE TAIL COMPARTMENT PORTHOLE OF ANY SMOKE OR FIRE. CAPT ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE AFT LAVATORIES AND AFT GALLEY TO HELP ASCERTAIN SOURCE OF ODOR. FLT ATTENDANT MAINTAINED THAT THE TAIL COMPARTMENT WAS THE SOURCE IN HER OPINION. NO HEAT WAS DETECTED IN AFT CABIN DOOR OR FLOOR AREA. CAPT DIRECTED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO MONITOR THE SITUATION; AND TO SEE IF THE ODOR MIGHT DISSIPATE ONCE CRUISE PWR WAS ESTABLISHED. THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL ODOR DETECTED IN THE FLT DECK FOR REMAINDER OF FLT; BUT THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONTINUED TO RPT THE CONSISTENT PRESENCE OF BURNING ODOR; BUT NOW ALSO FROM THE FORWARD LAVATORY AREA; AFT GALLEY; AND VICINITY OF ROW 14 (CAPT'S SIDE) OVERHEAD AREA. CAPT INITIATED QRH PROCS FOR 'SMOKE OR FUMES AIR CONDITIONING' WHILE FO ASSUMED EXTERNAL RADIO COMS. ONCE IT WAS CLR THE STEPS TO ISOLATE THE POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FUMES WAS NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL; COUPLED WITH ATC DELAYING VECTORS FOR OUR DEST (ZZZ); CAPT DECLARED AN 'EMER' FOR PRIORITY HANDLING TO ZZZ. APCH CTL CLRED US DIRECT TO ZZZ AND THE VISUAL. APCH/LNDG UNEVENTFUL; WITH PRIORITY TAXI GRANTED TO THE GATE. NO INJURIES RPTED. SOURCE OF FUMES CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED BY COMPANY.

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.