Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff; flight attendant #5 advised me there was slight haze/smoke in cabin. I went back to 2L/right to assess situation. Flight attendant #3 was on interphone to cockpit; she gave the phone to me and I advised captain of strong electrical smell in cabin between rows 10 and 13. I told captain we would look for the source of smell/haze and callback. All flight attendants opened overhead bins and looked for source; none found. All flight attendants also went row by row to observe passengers and seats to look for source; yet none found. Since the smell was electrical; went to the flight attendant panel at 1L and turned off the power port system and monitors were also turned off. I called the captain back and advised him of what we had observed and done and he advised me that he had turned off the electrical that allowed passengers to operate the passenger entertainment systems (lights; audio) and that we would be returning to our departure airport. Captain came over the PA system to advise passengers that we would be returning and that fire/rescue trucks would be meeting the plane but to not be alarmed. We landed without incident and returned to the gate. Mechanics boarded after passengers deplaned and found that one of the video monitor's wires had chafed causing charring; electrical smell and haze in the cabin. The two monitors nearest to 2L/right were disabled and wires detached and tied off. We continued on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 developed an electrical smell accompanied by fumes and smoke in the cabin shortly after takeoff; an emergency was declared with a return to land. Video monitor wiring was subsequently found chafed and shorted.

Narrative: Shortly after takeoff; Flight Attendant #5 advised me there was slight haze/smoke in cabin. I went back to 2L/R to assess situation. Flight Attendant #3 was on interphone to cockpit; she gave the phone to me and I advised Captain of strong electrical smell in cabin between rows 10 and 13. I told Captain we would look for the source of smell/haze and callback. All flight attendants opened overhead bins and looked for source; none found. All flight attendants also went row by row to observe passengers and seats to look for source; yet none found. Since the smell was electrical; went to the flight attendant panel at 1L and turned off the power port system and monitors were also turned off. I called the Captain back and advised him of what we had observed and done and he advised me that he had turned off the electrical that allowed passengers to operate the passenger entertainment systems (lights; audio) and that we would be returning to our departure airport. Captain came over the PA system to advise passengers that we would be returning and that fire/rescue trucks would be meeting the plane but to not be alarmed. We landed without incident and returned to the gate. Mechanics boarded after passengers deplaned and found that one of the video monitor's wires had chafed causing charring; electrical smell and haze in the cabin. The two monitors nearest to 2L/R were disabled and wires detached and tied off. We continued on.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.