Narrative:

During cruise; we received a call from our 'a' flight attendant; stating there was a toxic odor at the rear of the aircraft noticed by passenger and flight attendants. It was described as a gaseous odor. Since we were carrying hazmat (55 pounds of acetone UN1993) in the aft pit area we consulted the hazmat response guide book identing it as extremely flammable. We completed a phone patch with dispatch to consult with a hazmat specialist; and asked the flight attendants to turn off all aft galley electrical power. They were also asked to make a PA asking if any passenger had used any materials with a toxic smell to help us positively identify the source. During this time; the smell dissipated; and was no longer noticeable. The hazmat specialist stated an acetone leak could have this characteristic; so we made the decision to divert to ZZZ which was 120 NM west. We completed our review of the appropriate response from the hazmat guide book; while declaring an emergency. The first officer did a great job of expediting our arrival to ZZZ; where emergency vehicles led us to the fire station. We made the decision not to start the APU due to its proximity to the potential leak; and deplaned the passenger with air stairs uneventfully under emergency lighting where they congregated inside the fire house for later transport. Ramp personnel arrived with a gpu; but after conferring with the emergency personnel; we mutually decided to delay adding any electrical power until the potential leak had been idented and safely contained. We requested a mechanic to be sent to assist the emergency personnel who stated they were familiar with the airbus; and the ability to open the cargo doors without hydraulic or electrical power with the hand pumps. Finally; we came to the mutual agreement that the flight crew was no longer required; so we contacted dispatch and were transported with the passenger to our new aircraft for the continuation of our flight. Initial reports to me from the mechanic sent to the aircraft indicated the hazmat had not leaked. There were no injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS FUMES IN CABIN OF A320. FLT CREW MAKE AN EMER DIVERSION FOR INSPECTION.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE; WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR 'A' FLT ATTENDANT; STATING THERE WAS A TOXIC ODOR AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT NOTICED BY PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A GASEOUS ODOR. SINCE WE WERE CARRYING HAZMAT (55 LBS OF ACETONE UN1993) IN THE AFT PIT AREA WE CONSULTED THE HAZMAT RESPONSE GUIDE BOOK IDENTING IT AS EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE. WE COMPLETED A PHONE PATCH WITH DISPATCH TO CONSULT WITH A HAZMAT SPECIALIST; AND ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TURN OFF ALL AFT GALLEY ELECTRICAL PWR. THEY WERE ALSO ASKED TO MAKE A PA ASKING IF ANY PAX HAD USED ANY MATERIALS WITH A TOXIC SMELL TO HELP US POSITIVELY IDENT THE SOURCE. DURING THIS TIME; THE SMELL DISSIPATED; AND WAS NO LONGER NOTICEABLE. THE HAZMAT SPECIALIST STATED AN ACETONE LEAK COULD HAVE THIS CHARACTERISTIC; SO WE MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO ZZZ WHICH WAS 120 NM W. WE COMPLETED OUR REVIEW OF THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FROM THE HAZMAT GUIDE BOOK; WHILE DECLARING AN EMER. THE FO DID A GREAT JOB OF EXPEDITING OUR ARR TO ZZZ; WHERE EMER VEHICLES LED US TO THE FIRE STATION. WE MADE THE DECISION NOT TO START THE APU DUE TO ITS PROX TO THE POTENTIAL LEAK; AND DEPLANED THE PAX WITH AIR STAIRS UNEVENTFULLY UNDER EMER LIGHTING WHERE THEY CONGREGATED INSIDE THE FIRE HOUSE FOR LATER TRANSPORT. RAMP PERSONNEL ARRIVED WITH A GPU; BUT AFTER CONFERRING WITH THE EMER PERSONNEL; WE MUTUALLY DECIDED TO DELAY ADDING ANY ELECTRICAL PWR UNTIL THE POTENTIAL LEAK HAD BEEN IDENTED AND SAFELY CONTAINED. WE REQUESTED A MECH TO BE SENT TO ASSIST THE EMER PERSONNEL WHO STATED THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRBUS; AND THE ABILITY TO OPEN THE CARGO DOORS WITHOUT HYD OR ELECTRICAL PWR WITH THE HAND PUMPS. FINALLY; WE CAME TO THE MUTUAL AGREEMENT THAT THE FLT CREW WAS NO LONGER REQUIRED; SO WE CONTACTED DISPATCH AND WERE TRANSPORTED WITH THE PAX TO OUR NEW ACFT FOR THE CONTINUATION OF OUR FLT. INITIAL RPTS TO ME FROM THE MECH SENT TO THE ACFT INDICATED THE HAZMAT HAD NOT LEAKED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.