Narrative:

While at cruise altitude on R763 in class 2 navigation airspace we received a 'smoke aft cargo smoke, land as soon as possible' ECAM warning. I, the captain, completed the ECAM and the first officer flew the aircraft and communicated with ATC. We silenced the alarm first. The warning did not disappear on its own so we complied with the ECAM action by discharging agent #1. With the ECAM action item complete I referred to the flight manual for any follow-up actions and there were none. The first officer contacted new york radio on HF, declared an emergency and asked them to relay this to dispatch. We discussed our possible courses of action and decided to divert to the nearest airport, nassau international, (mynn/NAS). We turned towards NAS and once we returned back into the ACARS coverage area, we notified dispatch of our situation. NAS was about 360 NM away and after conferring with dispatch, was confirmed to be the nearest suitable place to land if we indeed had a fire. I had the flight attendant come to the cockpit to brief her on the situation. She informed us that about the same time that we thought we had received the smoke ECAM, the power to the entire audio system had been lost. We all discussed the situation then I instructed her to prepare the cabin for evacuate/evacuation, but included that we didn't expect to have to evacuate because the smoke or fire appeared to have been extinguished or contained. We contacted the aft flight attendants and had them check for heat, smoke or unusual odors in the aft galley and lavatories. They detected nothing out of the ordinary. We proceeded to NAS as quickly as possible. Approximately 5 mins prior to landing, the smoke ECAM discharge agent #2 message appeared and we discharged the second fire bottle. NAS emergency equipment had been requested and met our aircraft upon arrival. The WX was good and we landed safely. The cabin was not evacuate/evacuationed and no exterior indications of smoke or fire were observed, so the passenger were quickly deplaned via 2 airstairs, one at door 1L and one at door 2L. The flight attendants instructed the passenger to leave all carry-on baggage on board and as they exited they were routed to passenger buses and taken to the terminal. When all passenger were clear of the aircraft, the rear cargo door was opened by NAS fire and rescue. No smoke, fumes or fire was observed. The bags were removed from the cargo pit and the area was inspected for evidence of fire, smoke or hazardous materials spills. No evidence of any was found. The outcome of this diversion was successful due to the quick and professional responses of all crew members involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT CREW HAVE TO DIVERT AND LAND IN AN EMER CONDITION DUE TO A CARGO COMPARTMENT FIRE WARNING.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE ALT ON R763 IN CLASS 2 NAV AIRSPACE WE RECEIVED A 'SMOKE AFT CARGO SMOKE, LAND ASAP' ECAM WARNING. I, THE CAPT, COMPLETED THE ECAM AND THE FO FLEW THE ACFT AND COMMUNICATED WITH ATC. WE SILENCED THE ALARM FIRST. THE WARNING DID NOT DISAPPEAR ON ITS OWN SO WE COMPLIED WITH THE ECAM ACTION BY DISCHARGING AGENT #1. WITH THE ECAM ACTION ITEM COMPLETE I REFERRED TO THE FLT MANUAL FOR ANY FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS AND THERE WERE NONE. THE FO CONTACTED NEW YORK RADIO ON HF, DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED THEM TO RELAY THIS TO DISPATCH. WE DISCUSSED OUR POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST ARPT, NASSAU INTL, (MYNN/NAS). WE TURNED TOWARDS NAS AND ONCE WE RETURNED BACK INTO THE ACARS COVERAGE AREA, WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH OF OUR SIT. NAS WAS ABOUT 360 NM AWAY AND AFTER CONFERRING WITH DISPATCH, WAS CONFIRMED TO BE THE NEAREST SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND IF WE INDEED HAD A FIRE. I HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT COME TO THE COCKPIT TO BRIEF HER ON THE SIT. SHE INFORMED US THAT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD RECEIVED THE SMOKE ECAM, THE PWR TO THE ENTIRE AUDIO SYS HAD BEEN LOST. WE ALL DISCUSSED THE SIT THEN I INSTRUCTED HER TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR EVAC, BUT INCLUDED THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO HAVE TO EVACUATE BECAUSE THE SMOKE OR FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN EXTINGUISHED OR CONTAINED. WE CONTACTED THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS AND HAD THEM CHK FOR HEAT, SMOKE OR UNUSUAL ODORS IN THE AFT GALLEY AND LAVATORIES. THEY DETECTED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WE PROCEEDED TO NAS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG, THE SMOKE ECAM DISCHARGE AGENT #2 MESSAGE APPEARED AND WE DISCHARGED THE SECOND FIRE BOTTLE. NAS EMER EQUIP HAD BEEN REQUESTED AND MET OUR ACFT UPON ARR. THE WX WAS GOOD AND WE LANDED SAFELY. THE CABIN WAS NOT EVACED AND NO EXTERIOR INDICATIONS OF SMOKE OR FIRE WERE OBSERVED, SO THE PAX WERE QUICKLY DEPLANED VIA 2 AIRSTAIRS, ONE AT DOOR 1L AND ONE AT DOOR 2L. THE FLT ATTENDANTS INSTRUCTED THE PAX TO LEAVE ALL CARRY-ON BAGGAGE ON BOARD AND AS THEY EXITED THEY WERE ROUTED TO PAX BUSES AND TAKEN TO THE TERMINAL. WHEN ALL PAX WERE CLR OF THE ACFT, THE REAR CARGO DOOR WAS OPENED BY NAS FIRE AND RESCUE. NO SMOKE, FUMES OR FIRE WAS OBSERVED. THE BAGS WERE REMOVED FROM THE CARGO PIT AND THE AREA WAS INSPECTED FOR EVIDENCE OF FIRE, SMOKE OR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPILLS. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY WAS FOUND. THE OUTCOME OF THIS DIVERSION WAS SUCCESSFUL DUE TO THE QUICK AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSES OF ALL CREW MEMBERS INVOLVED.

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.