Narrative:

Emergency descent into ict. On scheduled flight from stl, approximately 1 hour en route to bur, the F/a informed cockpit crew that she and passenger observed a fuel odor in the mid cabin area. The first officer went back to the cabin to investigate and also observed what he believed to be the odor of jet fuel and reported his findings to me. At that point ATC was contacted and in initiated an emergency descent into the nearest suitable airport, ict, approximately 48 NM to the south. We landed on runway 19R at ict and deplaned the passenger. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated fumes seemed isolated at mid cabin. Aircraft fuel system had been worked on night before and also auxiliary power unit, so suspect some type fuel leak into pressurization system. Crew flew out that pm in substitute aircraft, but knows maintenance worked on aircraft rest of afternoon and it did not leave until next am, so knows they found some kind of problem but could not get answer what caused problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG AT DIVERSION ARPT AFTER CABIN REPORTS FUEL FUMES IN CABIN.

Narrative: EMER DSCNT INTO ICT. ON SCHEDULED FLT FROM STL, APPROX 1 HR ENRTE TO BUR, THE F/A INFORMED COCKPIT CREW THAT SHE AND PAX OBSERVED A FUEL ODOR IN THE MID CABIN AREA. THE F/O WENT BACK TO THE CABIN TO INVESTIGATE AND ALSO OBSERVED WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE THE ODOR OF JET FUEL AND RPTED HIS FINDINGS TO ME. AT THAT POINT ATC WAS CONTACTED AND IN INITIATED AN EMER DSCNT INTO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, ICT, APPROX 48 NM TO THE S. WE LANDED ON RWY 19R AT ICT AND DEPLANED THE PAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED FUMES SEEMED ISOLATED AT MID CABIN. ACFT FUEL SYSTEM HAD BEEN WORKED ON NIGHT BEFORE AND ALSO AUX PWR UNIT, SO SUSPECT SOME TYPE FUEL LEAK INTO PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM. CREW FLEW OUT THAT PM IN SUBSTITUTE ACFT, BUT KNOWS MAINT WORKED ON ACFT REST OF AFTERNOON AND IT DID NOT LEAVE UNTIL NEXT AM, SO KNOWS THEY FOUND SOME KIND OF PROB BUT COULD NOT GET ANSWER WHAT CAUSED PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.