While en route, an air carrier A320 flight crew heard a loud bang, and experienced a yawing motion. ...

Attributes
ACN	315194
Time
Date	199509
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ipl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32500 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tower : dsm
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	315194
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Out of 32500 ft for 33000 ft we heard a loud bang and felt a bump near ipl. All indications were normal. Called dispatch and maintenance and continued to dtw. Thought it was a bird or aerosol can in forward cargo bin. Dispatch checked what load was (mail and bags). At about 100 mi west of ict 2 flight attendants saw smoke and smelled electrical burning. I got up to check for smoke and found nothing. I also checked wings and engines from cabin earlier for dents etc. Because of both occurrences we decided to land at ict and declare and emergency so fire trucks would stand by and follow us to gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after the bang, the A320 shifted from left to right and entered a 2 degree bank. First officer suspected a bird strike, there were no indications of engine ingestion. Flight was continued and flight crew coordinated with dispatch to eliminate the possibility of a bomb in cargo. Later during the flight, the 3 flight attendants blasted into the cockpit stating that they saw smoke and noticed an electrical smell near the forward lavatory. The flight crew had already decided that any other occurrence was grounds for an emergency declaration, and so they did, and began a descent with the speed brakes out, diverting to ict. After landing, crash fire rescue equipment and police focussed on forward bin, but the only indication of anything awry was missing paint on the left leading edge slat. Company follow-up ensued regarding dispatch procedures. Apparently dispatch left the flight department and A320 specialists out of the loop.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ENRTE, AN ACR A320 FLC HEARD A LOUD BANG, AND EXPERIENCED A YAWING MOTION. A LATER RPT FROM THE CABIN CREW MEMBERS OF SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL SMELLS, LED THEM TO DECLARE AN EMER AND DIVERT.

Narrative: OUT OF 32500 FT FOR 33000 FT WE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND FELT A BUMP NEAR IPL. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. CALLED DISPATCH AND MAINT AND CONTINUED TO DTW. THOUGHT IT WAS A BIRD OR AEROSOL CAN IN FORWARD CARGO BIN. DISPATCH CHKED WHAT LOAD WAS (MAIL AND BAGS). AT ABOUT 100 MI W OF ICT 2 FLT ATTENDANTS SAW SMOKE AND SMELLED ELECTRICAL BURNING. I GOT UP TO CHK FOR SMOKE AND FOUND NOTHING. I ALSO CHKED WINGS AND ENGS FROM CABIN EARLIER FOR DENTS ETC. BECAUSE OF BOTH OCCURRENCES WE DECIDED TO LAND AT ICT AND DECLARE AND EMER SO FIRE TRUCKS WOULD STAND BY AND FOLLOW US TO GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER THE BANG, THE A320 SHIFTED FROM L TO R AND ENTERED A 2 DEG BANK. FO SUSPECTED A BIRD STRIKE, THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ENG INGESTION. FLT WAS CONTINUED AND FLC COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF A BOMB IN CARGO. LATER DURING THE FLT, THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS BLASTED INTO THE COCKPIT STATING THAT THEY SAW SMOKE AND NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL NEAR THE FORWARD LAVATORY. THE FLC HAD ALREADY DECIDED THAT ANY OTHER OCCURRENCE WAS GROUNDS FOR AN EMER DECLARATION, AND SO THEY DID, AND BEGAN A DSCNT WITH THE SPD BRAKES OUT, DIVERTING TO ICT. AFTER LNDG, CFR AND POLICE FOCUSSED ON FORWARD BIN, BUT THE ONLY INDICATION OF ANYTHING AWRY WAS MISSING PAINT ON THE L LEADING EDGE SLAT. COMPANY FOLLOW-UP ENSUED REGARDING DISPATCH PROCS. APPARENTLY DISPATCH LEFT THE FLT DEPT AND A320 SPECIALISTS OUT OF THE LOOP.

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.

While en route, an air carrier A320 flight crew heard a loud bang, and experienced a yawing motion. A later report from the cabin crew members of smoke and electrical smells, led them to declare an emergency and divert.