Narrative:

Approximately 90 mins prior to reaching our destination; a flight attendant called the cockpit to report that passenger reported sparks near the floor board vents around rows 18 and 19 on the right side of the aircraft; along with a smell of electrical type smoke. Two other flight attendants confirmed the smell. The captain requested that the flight attendants feel around the emergency exit row windows a couple of rows in front of where the sparks were seen to verify it wasn't a runaway window heater as we've experienced in the past. The flight attendants said both sides of the airplane were warm but not hot to the touch as we've seen in the past with the window heater problem. Although the minimal smoke dissipated quickly; we declared an emergency with center and told them we wanted to divert to ZZZZ where they immediately cleared us. I was the PF so the captain ran the appropriate checklists (smoke and fumes; and overweight landing prep). He had the flight attendants shut off the power to the power ports and lighting; and we continued to ZZZZ where we performed a smooth touchdown and taxied to the gate with fire and rescue vehicles following us. Upon maintenance inspection; they found the whole right side of the aircraft had power ports out. They placarded the power ports inoperative after checking with our maintenance base; and performed the overweight landing inspection. We continued to destination uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPARKS; SMOKE AND AN ELECTRICAL SMELL FROM FLOOR BOARD VENT WERE RPTED BY B757 PAX. FLIGHT CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED.

Narrative: APPROX 90 MINS PRIOR TO REACHING OUR DEST; A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT TO RPT THAT PAX RPTED SPARKS NEAR THE FLOOR BOARD VENTS AROUND ROWS 18 AND 19 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ACFT; ALONG WITH A SMELL OF ELECTRICAL TYPE SMOKE. TWO OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED THE SMELL. THE CAPT REQUESTED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS FEEL AROUND THE EMER EXIT ROW WINDOWS A COUPLE OF ROWS IN FRONT OF WHERE THE SPARKS WERE SEEN TO VERIFY IT WASN'T A RUNAWAY WINDOW HEATER AS WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRPLANE WERE WARM BUT NOT HOT TO THE TOUCH AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WITH THE WINDOW HEATER PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE MINIMAL SMOKE DISSIPATED QUICKLY; WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH CENTER AND TOLD THEM WE WANTED TO DIVERT TO ZZZZ WHERE THEY IMMEDIATELY CLEARED US. I WAS THE PF SO THE CAPT RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHECKLISTS (SMOKE AND FUMES; AND OVERWT LNDG PREP). HE HAD THE FLT ATTENDANTS SHUT OFF THE POWER TO THE POWER PORTS AND LIGHTING; AND WE CONTINUED TO ZZZZ WHERE WE PERFORMED A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH FIRE AND RESCUE VEHICLES FOLLOWING US. UPON MAINT INSPECTION; THEY FOUND THE WHOLE R SIDE OF THE ACFT HAD POWER PORTS OUT. THEY PLACARDED THE POWER PORTS INOPERATIVE AFTER CHECKING WITH OUR MAINT BASE; AND PERFORMED THE OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION. WE CONTINUED TO DEST UNEVENTFULLY.

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.