Narrative:

While in cruise I received a call from the purser about having smoke and fumes in the forward galley. At which time; I elected to go out there and see what was going on after I was told that there was no more smoke. After speaking to the purser; I was told that she saw smoke and started smelling fumes. The odor from the galley had spread all the way back to business class. At that point; I asked the first officer to maximize our airflow. She said that the ovens were unusually hot and that the ceiling panels on top of door 1R were unusually hot as well. At that point; I checked the ovens. There was no smoke. I could smell the fumes. The ovens were pretty hot; so we elected to pull the circuit breakers for them; at which point things seemed to cool down a little and the odor disappeared from business class. After returning to the flight deck; I called maintenance and informed them of the situation. At that point; I was asked to pull the galley circuit breaker on the upper panel. Also; we elected to turn off the utility busses to isolate the galley completely. A few mins later; I got another call saying that the oven was still hot and that they were concerned. To ease the situation; I elected to go back again and take a look at it. The right oven was definitely still hot and the left oven had cooled down a little bit. At this point; the flight attendants expressed their concerns and informed me that they were panicking and even some of the passenger were panicking from the odor of the fumes. At that point we elected to divert to ZZZ; which was our plan to do if things did not get resolved. At which point; we elected not to declare an emergency or request equipment; since we felt that the situation was under control. After landing; the purser informed me that she was nauseous and did not feel well. I asked her if she needed me to call the paramedics. She wanted me to call them; so I did. When the paramedics arrived I had a few more flight attendants and 2 first class passenger complaining of the same symptoms. The paramedics tended to all of them. Supplemental information from acn 805797: there was smoke streaming out of the ovens in first class. Also the ceiling panel was unusually hot on top of the oven in first class. There was an acrid electrical smell which nauseated and sickened both the passenger (especially in first class) and the flight attendants (especially those dealing most directly with the situation). We diverted. With only 5 flight attendants onboard it became challenging to maintain FAA minimums onboard as we had to see the medics ourselves; communicate with the company in the jetbridge and maintain C/left/right. Basically it meant that I had to run back and forth between the jetbridge and the cabin so the other flight attendants had to stay onboard. This delayed them in terms of seeing the medic (as we took turns to see him in the jetbridge). This is a safety issue. When there is a mechanical and something goes wrong; minimum staffing puts everyone at risk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW REPORTS A GALLEY OVEN VERY HOT AND SMOKEY EVEN AFTER THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED. FLT DIVERTED TO AN ENROUTE ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PURSER ABOUT HAVING SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE FORWARD GALLEY. AT WHICH TIME; I ELECTED TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AFTER I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO MORE SMOKE. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE PURSER; I WAS TOLD THAT SHE SAW SMOKE AND STARTED SMELLING FUMES. THE ODOR FROM THE GALLEY HAD SPREAD ALL THE WAY BACK TO BUSINESS CLASS. AT THAT POINT; I ASKED THE FO TO MAXIMIZE OUR AIRFLOW. SHE SAID THAT THE OVENS WERE UNUSUALLY HOT AND THAT THE CEILING PANELS ON TOP OF DOOR 1R WERE UNUSUALLY HOT AS WELL. AT THAT POINT; I CHKED THE OVENS. THERE WAS NO SMOKE. I COULD SMELL THE FUMES. THE OVENS WERE PRETTY HOT; SO WE ELECTED TO PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR THEM; AT WHICH POINT THINGS SEEMED TO COOL DOWN A LITTLE AND THE ODOR DISAPPEARED FROM BUSINESS CLASS. AFTER RETURNING TO THE FLT DECK; I CALLED MAINT AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION. AT THAT POINT; I WAS ASKED TO PULL THE GALLEY CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE UPPER PANEL. ALSO; WE ELECTED TO TURN OFF THE UTILITY BUSSES TO ISOLATE THE GALLEY COMPLETELY. A FEW MINS LATER; I GOT ANOTHER CALL SAYING THAT THE OVEN WAS STILL HOT AND THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED. TO EASE THE SITUATION; I ELECTED TO GO BACK AGAIN AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. THE R OVEN WAS DEFINITELY STILL HOT AND THE L OVEN HAD COOLED DOWN A LITTLE BIT. AT THIS POINT; THE FLT ATTENDANTS EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERNS AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE PANICKING AND EVEN SOME OF THE PAX WERE PANICKING FROM THE ODOR OF THE FUMES. AT THAT POINT WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ; WHICH WAS OUR PLAN TO DO IF THINGS DID NOT GET RESOLVED. AT WHICH POINT; WE ELECTED NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER OR REQUEST EQUIP; SINCE WE FELT THAT THE SITUATION WAS UNDER CTL. AFTER LNDG; THE PURSER INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS NAUSEOUS AND DID NOT FEEL WELL. I ASKED HER IF SHE NEEDED ME TO CALL THE PARAMEDICS. SHE WANTED ME TO CALL THEM; SO I DID. WHEN THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED I HAD A FEW MORE FLT ATTENDANTS AND 2 FIRST CLASS PAX COMPLAINING OF THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THE PARAMEDICS TENDED TO ALL OF THEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 805797: THERE WAS SMOKE STREAMING OUT OF THE OVENS IN FIRST CLASS. ALSO THE CEILING PANEL WAS UNUSUALLY HOT ON TOP OF THE OVEN IN FIRST CLASS. THERE WAS AN ACRID ELECTRICAL SMELL WHICH NAUSEATED AND SICKENED BOTH THE PAX (ESPECIALLY IN FIRST CLASS) AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS (ESPECIALLY THOSE DEALING MOST DIRECTLY WITH THE SITUATION). WE DIVERTED. WITH ONLY 5 FLT ATTENDANTS ONBOARD IT BECAME CHALLENGING TO MAINTAIN FAA MINIMUMS ONBOARD AS WE HAD TO SEE THE MEDICS OURSELVES; COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMPANY IN THE JETBRIDGE AND MAINTAIN C/L/R. BASICALLY IT MEANT THAT I HAD TO RUN BACK AND FORTH BTWN THE JETBRIDGE AND THE CABIN SO THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS HAD TO STAY ONBOARD. THIS DELAYED THEM IN TERMS OF SEEING THE MEDIC (AS WE TOOK TURNS TO SEE HIM IN THE JETBRIDGE). THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN THERE IS A MECHANICAL AND SOMETHING GOES WRONG; MINIMUM STAFFING PUTS EVERYONE AT RISK.

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.