Narrative:

While taking the active for departure; I noticed an unusual sound that seemed like it was coming from under the cockpit. It sounded like air vibrating in a duct. Just after becoming airborne; the first officer and I noticed a fairly strong; burning electrical smell. I called the purser; and he stated that he could also smell the odor; although there was no visible smoke in either the cockpit or cabin. The first officer (PF) leveled off at about 6000 ft and I declared an emergency with departure. Shortly thereafter; an ECAM avionics vent fault appeared; which I followed. I also completed the QRH and checklist items for smoke in the cockpit/cabin; as well as coordinated with the purser and dispatch. We were vectored back to the airport; and landed overweight at 160000 pounds. We taxied clear of the runway; and since the acrid odor had not become worse; and there was no smoke; I elected to taxi to a gate and deplane rather than risk passenger injury with an evacuation. ZZZ maintenance and the aarf met us at the aircraft. I think the airbus fleet technical team should take a good look at the smoke QRH though. The QRH refers you to the emergency section of the flight manual; which is fine. However; if the source of the smoke is the avionics system; you then have to go to the irregular section to find the next steps. I found this to be cumbersome and time consuming; especially in the dynamic; stressful environment of an overweight; possibly burning aircraft. I would highly recommend that this section on avionics smoke also be included in the continuation of the smoke QRH in the emergency section.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 AVIONICS VENT FAULT ECAM ACCOMPANIED BY ELECTRICAL SMELL CAUSED AN EMER RETURN SHORTLY AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: WHILE TAKING THE ACTIVE FOR DEP; I NOTICED AN UNUSUAL SOUND THAT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE COCKPIT. IT SOUNDED LIKE AIR VIBRATING IN A DUCT. JUST AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE; THE FO AND I NOTICED A FAIRLY STRONG; BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL. I CALLED THE PURSER; AND HE STATED THAT HE COULD ALSO SMELL THE ODOR; ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SMOKE IN EITHER THE COCKPIT OR CABIN. THE FO (PF) LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 6000 FT AND I DECLARED AN EMER WITH DEP. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; AN ECAM AVIONICS VENT FAULT APPEARED; WHICH I FOLLOWED. I ALSO COMPLETED THE QRH AND CHKLIST ITEMS FOR SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT/CABIN; AS WELL AS COORDINATED WITH THE PURSER AND DISPATCH. WE WERE VECTORED BACK TO THE ARPT; AND LANDED OVERWT AT 160000 LBS. WE TAXIED CLEAR OF THE RWY; AND SINCE THE ACRID ODOR HAD NOT BECOME WORSE; AND THERE WAS NO SMOKE; I ELECTED TO TAXI TO A GATE AND DEPLANE RATHER THAN RISK PAX INJURY WITH AN EVACUATION. ZZZ MAINT AND THE AARF MET US AT THE ACFT. I THINK THE AIRBUS FLEET TECHNICAL TEAM SHOULD TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE SMOKE QRH THOUGH. THE QRH REFERS YOU TO THE EMER SECTION OF THE FLIGHT MANUAL; WHICH IS FINE. HOWEVER; IF THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE IS THE AVIONICS SYSTEM; YOU THEN HAVE TO GO TO THE IRREGULAR SECTION TO FIND THE NEXT STEPS. I FOUND THIS TO BE CUMBERSOME AND TIME CONSUMING; ESPECIALLY IN THE DYNAMIC; STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT OF AN OVERWT; POSSIBLY BURNING ACFT. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT THIS SECTION ON AVIONICS SMOKE ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTINUATION OF THE SMOKE QRH IN THE EMER SECTION.

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.