Narrative:

I was the captain on flight from msp to mia on apr/xa/99. We were in an A320. The aircraft had no open MEL write-ups, the last cleared write-up a day earlier concerned the 'water separator.' approximately 20 mins before landing in mia we were instructed by ATC to descend from FL350 to FL240. As soon as the power was reduced and the aircraft started down, a very strong 'vinegar' like acidic smell was noticed in the cockpit by the first officer and myself. I immediately called the lead flight attendant and asked if something had spilled in the galley. She said that there was no problem that she could see, and that she did not smell anything. A few mins later a second flight attendant came into the cockpit (we were at 11000 ft approaching heatt intersection, approximately 30 mi from mia). He said that there was an 'electrical/burn' smell all throughout the cabin. He said that there was no evidence of any smoke. I instructed him to monitor the situation along with the lead flight attendant, and notify me if anything changed. I told him that we would immediately proceed to mia and land as soon as possible. I instructed the first officer to notify approach control of the 'smell/odor' problems we were experiencing and request an immediate landing at mia. Approach control gave us an immediate vector to intercept the final approach course to runway 27R ahead of all other traffic. We intercepted the runway centerline approximately 4 mi out and landed 1 min or so later with no problems. During engine reversing and deceleration, the strong 'vinegar' smell reappeared in the cockpit. The lead flight attendant did not tell me of any worsening smells in the cabin, so we proceeded to taxi to the gate. I had the first officer notify mia operations of our problems/concerns, and to warn them to be careful opening the cargo bins in case anything had spilled. I also requested a mechanic meet the aircraft so I could discuss the problem with him. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that maintenance could not find any sources for the odor. All overhead bins were checked for fluid spills and none were found. Nothing ever came out from maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ARRIVING A320 IS HANDLED AS PRIORITY TFC BY MIA APCH CTL WHEN THE CREW DETECTS A STRONG SMELL OF FUMES IN THE COCKPIT DURING DSCNT FROM FL350.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT FROM MSP TO MIA ON APR/XA/99. WE WERE IN AN A320. THE ACFT HAD NO OPEN MEL WRITE-UPS, THE LAST CLRED WRITE-UP A DAY EARLIER CONCERNED THE 'WATER SEPARATOR.' APPROX 20 MINS BEFORE LNDG IN MIA WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO DSND FROM FL350 TO FL240. AS SOON AS THE PWR WAS REDUCED AND THE ACFT STARTED DOWN, A VERY STRONG 'VINEGAR' LIKE ACIDIC SMELL WAS NOTICED IN THE COCKPIT BY THE FO AND MYSELF. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED IF SOMETHING HAD SPILLED IN THE GALLEY. SHE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROB THAT SHE COULD SEE, AND THAT SHE DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING. A FEW MINS LATER A SECOND FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT (WE WERE AT 11000 FT APCHING HEATT INTXN, APPROX 30 MI FROM MIA). HE SAID THAT THERE WAS AN 'ELECTRICAL/BURN' SMELL ALL THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY SMOKE. I INSTRUCTED HIM TO MONITOR THE SIT ALONG WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT, AND NOTIFY ME IF ANYTHING CHANGED. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY PROCEED TO MIA AND LAND ASAP. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO NOTIFY APCH CTL OF THE 'SMELL/ODOR' PROBS WE WERE EXPERIENCING AND REQUEST AN IMMEDIATE LNDG AT MIA. APCH CTL GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 27R AHEAD OF ALL OTHER TFC. WE INTERCEPTED THE RWY CTRLINE APPROX 4 MI OUT AND LANDED 1 MIN OR SO LATER WITH NO PROBS. DURING ENG REVERSING AND DECELERATION, THE STRONG 'VINEGAR' SMELL REAPPEARED IN THE COCKPIT. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT TELL ME OF ANY WORSENING SMELLS IN THE CABIN, SO WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. I HAD THE FO NOTIFY MIA OPS OF OUR PROBS/CONCERNS, AND TO WARN THEM TO BE CAREFUL OPENING THE CARGO BINS IN CASE ANYTHING HAD SPILLED. I ALSO REQUESTED A MECH MEET THE ACFT SO I COULD DISCUSS THE PROB WITH HIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT MAINT COULD NOT FIND ANY SOURCES FOR THE ODOR. ALL OVERHEAD BINS WERE CHKED FOR FLUID SPILLS AND NONE WERE FOUND. NOTHING EVER CAME OUT FROM MAINT.

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.