Narrative:

Flight attendant advised flight deck of electrical smoke and odor from seat X. Flight attendant secured the passenger entertainment system and smoke and odor subsided. Passenger was moved to another seat. Flight attendant found a pen jammed near the control box for the passenger entertainment system -- suspected pen shorted out the box; causing the box to 'fry' itself. Taking input from the first officer with the information from the flight attendants; we decided to divert to the nearest suitable field; ZZZZ. We declared an emergency with ZZZ1 on HF. ATC cleared us direct to ZZZZ. Emergency equipment was standing by. No physical or emotional injury occurred. Dispatch was informed by way of a phone patch through ZZZ1 ATC. Pull seat cushions during overnight cleaning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPT REPORTS ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND FUMES EMANATING FROM PAX SEAT ELECTRICAL CONTROLS WITH DIVERSION.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED FLT DECK OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND ODOR FROM SEAT X. FLT ATTENDANT SECURED THE PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS AND SMOKE AND ODOR SUBSIDED. PAX WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER SEAT. FLT ATTENDANT FOUND A PEN JAMMED NEAR THE CTL BOX FOR THE PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS -- SUSPECTED PEN SHORTED OUT THE BOX; CAUSING THE BOX TO 'FRY' ITSELF. TAKING INPUT FROM THE FO WITH THE INFO FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS; WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE FIELD; ZZZZ. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZZZ1 ON HF. ATC CLRED US DIRECT TO ZZZZ. EMER EQUIP WAS STANDING BY. NO PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL INJURY OCCURRED. DISPATCH WAS INFORMED BY WAY OF A PHONE PATCH THROUGH ZZZ1 ATC. PULL SEAT CUSHIONS DURING OVERNIGHT CLEANING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.