An A320 receives and odor during flight that makes passenger ill. Flight crew return land.

Attributes
ACN	416446
Time
Date	199810
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : oma
State Reference	NE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	416446
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Unusual odor reported to cockpit by flight attendant. Confirmed by myself and another pilot. Odor not recognized, ie, no hydraulic, deicing fluid, electrical. After 20 mins, several passenger and 1 flight attendant felt ill. Aircraft landed msp without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has since learned that the odor was caused by a burned out electric motor that pwrs the water compressor for the water supply system. This motor is located beneath the cabin floor with no accessibility to cabin attendants or flcs. It was further learned that the motor drives a belt to turn the compressor. When the drive belt fails, it often comes apart and jams the motor turning. These 2 actions create a strong odor with heated rubber and motor overheated electrically. Flight crew returned aircraft to departure point msp. There were about 20 passenger that felt ill. Paramedics met the aircraft but the reporter was not aware of any passenger that went to any hospitals.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 RECEIVES AND ODOR DURING FLT THAT MAKES PAX ILL. FLC RETURN LAND.

Narrative: UNUSUAL ODOR RPTED TO COCKPIT BY FLT ATTENDANT. CONFIRMED BY MYSELF AND ANOTHER PLT. ODOR NOT RECOGNIZED, IE, NO HYD, DEICING FLUID, ELECTRICAL. AFTER 20 MINS, SEVERAL PAX AND 1 FLT ATTENDANT FELT ILL. ACFT LANDED MSP WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS SINCE LEARNED THAT THE ODOR WAS CAUSED BY A BURNED OUT ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT PWRS THE WATER COMPRESSOR FOR THE WATER SUPPLY SYS. THIS MOTOR IS LOCATED BENEATH THE CABIN FLOOR WITH NO ACCESSIBILITY TO CABIN ATTENDANTS OR FLCS. IT WAS FURTHER LEARNED THAT THE MOTOR DRIVES A BELT TO TURN THE COMPRESSOR. WHEN THE DRIVE BELT FAILS, IT OFTEN COMES APART AND JAMS THE MOTOR TURNING. THESE 2 ACTIONS CREATE A STRONG ODOR WITH HEATED RUBBER AND MOTOR OVERHEATED ELECTRICALLY. FLC RETURNED ACFT TO DEP POINT MSP. THERE WERE ABOUT 20 PAX THAT FELT ILL. PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT BUT THE RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PAX THAT WENT TO ANY HOSPITALS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.