Narrative:

En route to ZZZ1 our flight attendant reported the smell of something like wires or rubber. I notified the captain and told the flight attendant to keep us advised if the smell gets stronger or if they see smoke. Shortly after that the flight attendant called us again to inform us that the smell was getting stronger. The captain then xferred the controls to me and we completed the cabin/lav fire QRH. After completing the QRH; the captain coordination with dispatch and the cabin; while I communicated with ATC and flew the airplane. We landed in ZZZ uneventfully.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the electrical smell originated in a light ballast in the aft aircraft. He could not remember which row just that it was far aft. There was no fire nor did any circuit breaker pop. The crew decided that declaring an emergency and diverting to the nearest suitable airport was the best course of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE AFTER CABIN ATTENDANT RPTED A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL IN THE AFT CABIN.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ZZZ1 OUR FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THE SMELL OF SOMETHING LIKE WIRES OR RUBBER. I NOTIFIED THE CAPT AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT TO KEEP US ADVISED IF THE SMELL GETS STRONGER OR IF THEY SEE SMOKE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED US AGAIN TO INFORM US THAT THE SMELL WAS GETTING STRONGER. THE CAPT THEN XFERRED THE CTLS TO ME AND WE COMPLETED THE CABIN/LAV FIRE QRH. AFTER COMPLETING THE QRH; THE CAPT COORD WITH DISPATCH AND THE CABIN; WHILE I COMMUNICATED WITH ATC AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE. WE LANDED IN ZZZ UNEVENTFULLY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SMELL ORIGINATED IN A LIGHT BALLAST IN THE AFT ACFT. HE COULD NOT REMEMBER WHICH ROW JUST THAT IT WAS FAR AFT. THERE WAS NO FIRE NOR DID ANY CB POP. THE CREW DECIDED THAT DECLARING AN EMER AND DIVERTING TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.

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.