What initial actions should you take if you detect smoke or a burning odor in the cabin before boarding passengers?

• A. Notify the captain and crew, locate the source, and prepare to evacuate if conditions worsen.
• B. Continue preflight as normal and ignore the odor.
• C. Wipe away the odor with a towel and continue.
• D. Open all compartments to vent air.

Answer: (A)

When you sense smoke or a burning odor before boarding, the priority is to treat it as a potential fire hazard and escalate the response immediately. Notify the captain and other crew members so the proper emergency procedures can be activated, permissions coordinated, and a plan formed. This ensures you’re not guessing or acting alone; the captain has the authority and the full picture of aircraft status to guide the next steps.

Locating the source is important because it helps determine how serious the risk is and what kind of action is needed—electrical, galley, or something else. Knowing where the odor or smoke is coming from informs decisions about delaying boarding, isolating areas, or bringing maintenance into the loop before passengers embark.

Preparing to evacuate if conditions worsen keeps you ready to protect everyone’s safety. Even before passengers board, you want to be ready to implement evacuation or additional protective steps if the situation escalates, rather than waiting and reacting later.

Continuing preflight as normal ignores a potential hazard, so it’s not appropriate. Wiping away the odor with a towel or opening all compartments to vent air could hide or spread a hazard and complicate the assessment and response.