Narrative:

At FL350, a strong odor became apparent in cockpit. Crew considered odor might have been generated from the huffer/airstart unit used at gtf (APU/inoperative-deferred) because it was the same smell and crew assumed same of the huffer exhaust must have gotten in the aircraft system. Odor was not present during climb out but became noticeable in cruise and worsened as flight progressed. Crew donned oxygen masks/goggles and declared emergency with slc ATC stating intention to divert to nearest suitable airport, boi. We performed QRH smoke/toxic fumes checklist, started descent and requested emergency vehicles meet the aircraft after landing. Uneventful approach and landing accomplished. Stopped aircraft on taxiway after clearing the runway and performed emergency evacuate/evacuation checklists. Fire department inspected the east&east compartment and cargo areas. Company maintenance came out and inspected east&east compartment and cargo areas and reported smelling odor in both areas to the flight crew. The huffer was in front of the right wing next to the open forward door and blowing large amounts of black smoke and smelled bad. I went out to talk with the fueler and thought to close the door but the load crews were going in and out and we would be departing soon. In addition the wind was such that the black smoke was going aft and away. Maintenance was there and working the aircraft air-conditioning, etc, so I let it be. On takeoff roll I did smell it a bit and so did the first officer, we agreed that it was probably residual from the huffer and continued. It went away during climb then came back much worse as the flight progressed.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A310 CREW HAD A STRONG ODOR IN THE COCKPIT. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE.

Narrative: AT FL350, A STRONG ODOR BECAME APPARENT IN COCKPIT. CREW CONSIDERED ODOR MIGHT HAVE BEEN GENERATED FROM THE HUFFER/AIRSTART UNIT USED AT GTF (APU/INOP-DEFERRED) BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAME SMELL AND CREW ASSUMED SAME OF THE HUFFER EXHAUST MUST HAVE GOTTEN IN THE ACFT SYS. ODOR WAS NOT PRESENT DURING CLBOUT BUT BECAME NOTICEABLE IN CRUISE AND WORSENED AS FLT PROGRESSED. CREW DONNED OXYGEN MASKS/GOGGLES AND DECLARED EMER WITH SLC ATC STATING INTENTION TO DIVERT TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, BOI. WE PERFORMED QRH SMOKE/TOXIC FUMES CHKLIST, STARTED DSCNT AND REQUESTED EMER VEHICLES MEET THE ACFT AFTER LNDG. UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG ACCOMPLISHED. STOPPED ACFT ON TXWY AFTER CLRING THE RWY AND PERFORMED EMER EVAC CHKLISTS. FIRE DEPT INSPECTED THE E&E COMPARTMENT AND CARGO AREAS. COMPANY MAINT CAME OUT AND INSPECTED E&E COMPARTMENT AND CARGO AREAS AND RPTED SMELLING ODOR IN BOTH AREAS TO THE FLT CREW. THE HUFFER WAS IN FRONT OF THE R WING NEXT TO THE OPEN FORWARD DOOR AND BLOWING LARGE AMOUNTS OF BLACK SMOKE AND SMELLED BAD. I WENT OUT TO TALK WITH THE FUELER AND THOUGHT TO CLOSE THE DOOR BUT THE LOAD CREWS WERE GOING IN AND OUT AND WE WOULD BE DEPARTING SOON. IN ADDITION THE WIND WAS SUCH THAT THE BLACK SMOKE WAS GOING AFT AND AWAY. MAINT WAS THERE AND WORKING THE ACFT AIR-CONDITIONING, ETC, SO I LET IT BE. ON TKOF ROLL I DID SMELL IT A BIT AND SO DID THE FO, WE AGREED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY RESIDUAL FROM THE HUFFER AND CONTINUED. IT WENT AWAY DURING CLB THEN CAME BACK MUCH WORSE AS THE FLT PROGRESSED.

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.