Narrative:

Failure of bearing in avionics exhaust fan causing odor/smoke/loud vibration. During climb noticed loud vibration followed by first odor then light smoke. Donned oxygen masks; declared emergency; asked ATC for vectors to the nearest suitable airport. Completed QRH; notified company; and told flight attendant that we were diverting and making precautionary landing. Landed overweight without incident. Referenced smoke section in QRH. (No ECAM action generated.) QRH precautionary landing and performance charts; overweight landing referenced. More maintenance inspection of avionic blower and exhaust fans.supplemental information from acn 730176: during climb vibration noticed in cockpit. Called flight attendant. She confirmed vibration in cabin floor around row 1. A few minutes later an odor was noticed in cockpit. After confirming that the first officer also noticed the odor we donned our oxygen masks; declared an emergency and requested a lower altitude and a vector to the nearest suitable airport. No ECAM cautions or warnings were displayed. Completed QRH procedures. Communicated to flight attendants that we would be making a precautionary landing and time to landing. Notified operations. Made passenger announcement. Completed descent procedures. Landed overweight at descent rate of less than 360 ft per min without incident. Notified cabin and flight attendants via PA with standard procedures. Taxied to gate. Fire/rescue examined aircraft. No damage noted. Maintenance MEL'd the extract fan. This is not the first time that odor/fumes have originated from the extract fan at our company. The fan needs to be redesigned. Also; airliners need to be equipped with a device that allows the pilots to see the instrument panel and the FCU with smoke in the cockpit. We did not get to the point where smoke obscured our vision; however it may have occurred if we hadn't land as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW DECLARES EMER AND DIVERTS DUE TO SMOKE; FUMES AND VIBRATION FROM A FAILED AVIONICS VENT FAN.

Narrative: FAILURE OF BEARING IN AVIONICS EXHAUST FAN CAUSING ODOR/SMOKE/LOUD VIBRATION. DURING CLIMB NOTICED LOUD VIBRATION FOLLOWED BY FIRST ODOR THEN LIGHT SMOKE. DONNED OXYGEN MASKS; DECLARED EMERGENCY; ASKED ATC FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT. COMPLETED QRH; NOTIFIED COMPANY; AND TOLD FLT ATTENDANT THAT WE WERE DIVERTING AND MAKING PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. LANDED OVERWEIGHT WITHOUT INCIDENT. REFERENCED SMOKE SECTION IN QRH. (NO ECAM ACTION GENERATED.) QRH PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AND PERFORMANCE CHARTS; OVERWEIGHT LANDING REFERENCED. MORE MAINT INSPECTION OF AVIONIC BLOWER AND EXHAUST FANS.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 730176: DURING CLIMB VIBRATION NOTICED IN COCKPIT. CALLED FLT ATTENDANT. SHE CONFIRMED VIBRATION IN CABIN FLOOR AROUND ROW 1. A FEW MINUTES LATER AN ODOR WAS NOTICED IN COCKPIT. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THE FO ALSO NOTICED THE ODOR WE DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS; DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE AND A VECTOR TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT. NO ECAM CAUTIONS OR WARNINGS WERE DISPLAYED. COMPLETED QRH PROCEDURES. COMMUNICATED TO FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AND TIME TO LANDING. NOTIFIED OPS. MADE PAX ANNOUNCEMENT. COMPLETED DESCENT PROCEDURES. LANDED OVERWEIGHT AT DESCENT RATE OF LESS THAN 360 FT PER MIN WITHOUT INCIDENT. NOTIFIED CABIN AND FLT ATTENDANTS VIA PA WITH STANDARD PROCEDURES. TAXIED TO GATE. FIRE/RESCUE EXAMINED AIRCRAFT. NO DAMAGE NOTED. MAINT MEL'D THE EXTRACT FAN. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT ODOR/FUMES HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE EXTRACT FAN AT OUR COMPANY. THE FAN NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED. ALSO; AIRLINERS NEED TO BE EQUIPPED WITH A DEVICE THAT ALLOWS THE PILOTS TO SEE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE FCU WITH SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. WE DID NOT GET TO THE POINT WHERE SMOKE OBSCURED OUR VISION; HOWEVER IT MAY HAVE OCCURRED IF WE HADN'T LAND ASAP.

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.