A320 flight crew diverted to land when electrical fire fumes were smelled in the cockpit and there h...

Attributes
ACN	518708
Time
Date	200107
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : pub.vortac
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 29000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time type : 771
ASRS Report	518708
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : noise and fumes other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Uneventful climb to FL290 out of den. Approximately 20 NM southeast of publication at XA30, we heard a loud rumbling sound coming from the nosewheel area accompanied by a burning electrical smell. We could find nothing wrong on the system pages and we had no ecams. The noise was heard by the purser and first class passenger, but the burning smell was isolated to the flight deck. When the noise did not abate and the electrical burning smell worsened, we made the initial decision to divert back to den. En route to den, the burning smell intensified and we made the decision to get the aircraft on the ground as soon as possible and told center we wanted to instead divert to cos and declaring an emergency we asked that the fire equipment be standing by. During descent we got an avionics blower ECAM followed by an avionics extract ECAM and we positioned both switches to override per the procedure. After an uneventful landing, we were inspected by the fire crew for actual smoke or fire. After being cleared by the fire crew, we taxied to the gate with the fire crew observing us and deplaned the passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC DIVERTED TO LAND WHEN ELECTRICAL FIRE FUMES WERE SMELLED IN THE COCKPIT AND THERE HAD BEEN UNUSUAL NOISES HEARD COMING FROM THE NOSEWHEEL AREA.

Narrative: UNEVENTFUL CLB TO FL290 OUT OF DEN. APPROX 20 NM SE OF PUB AT XA30, WE HEARD A LOUD RUMBLING SOUND COMING FROM THE NOSEWHEEL AREA ACCOMPANIED BY A BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL. WE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG ON THE SYS PAGES AND WE HAD NO ECAMS. THE NOISE WAS HEARD BY THE PURSER AND FIRST CLASS PAX, BUT THE BURNING SMELL WAS ISOLATED TO THE FLT DECK. WHEN THE NOISE DID NOT ABATE AND THE ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WORSENED, WE MADE THE INITIAL DECISION TO DIVERT BACK TO DEN. ENRTE TO DEN, THE BURNING SMELL INTENSIFIED AND WE MADE THE DECISION TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND ASAP AND TOLD CTR WE WANTED TO INSTEAD DIVERT TO COS AND DECLARING AN EMER WE ASKED THAT THE FIRE EQUIP BE STANDING BY. DURING DSCNT WE GOT AN AVIONICS BLOWER ECAM FOLLOWED BY AN AVIONICS EXTRACT ECAM AND WE POSITIONED BOTH SWITCHES TO OVERRIDE PER THE PROC. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG, WE WERE INSPECTED BY THE FIRE CREW FOR ACTUAL SMOKE OR FIRE. AFTER BEING CLRED BY THE FIRE CREW, WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH THE FIRE CREW OBSERVING US AND DEPLANED THE PAX.

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.

A320 flight crew diverted to land when electrical fire fumes were smelled in the cockpit and there had been unusual noises heard coming from the nosewheel area.