Narrative:

While at cruise (FL390) 65 mi north of denver, began to smell electrical fumes throughout cabin and cockpit. Checked system pages and saw no indication of electrical malfunctions. No fault messages were received. Captain decided to divert to den because we could not determine source of electrical fumes. Initiated cabin smoke/fire checklist, declared an emergency, and began an emergency descent with a left turn direct den. Received vectors to a visual approach to runway 17R at den. Selected automatic brakes medium due to left cornering tailwind and landing weight (130000 pounds). Completed red bordered cabin/smoke/fume checklist, descent, approach and landing checklists. Cabin smoke and fumes dissipated during descent, however, fumes increased after landing as reported by passenger and flight attendants. Right pack overheat occurred after landing with associated pack fault message. Left main gear temperature heated to maximum temperature of 605 degrees C, which caused fuse plugs to blow at gate. Requested fire trucks to follow aircraft to gate due to overheated brakes and in case fumes worsened. Offloading of passenger was normal. Performance of ATC, flight attendants and fire and rescue personnel was excellent. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the postflt inspection failed to reveal any abnormal aircraft components or system malfunctions. It was very confusing as the fumes were quite strong. He further said that the aircraft was signed off and placed back into service the next day. They continued their flight pattern right away, being given another aircraft to continue on to oak.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT IS DIVERTED INTO DEN ARPT AFTER FLC, CABIN ATTENDANT, AND PAX DETECT STRONG ELECTRICAL FUMES IN ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE (FL390) 65 MI N OF DENVER, BEGAN TO SMELL ELECTRICAL FUMES THROUGHOUT CABIN AND COCKPIT. CHKED SYS PAGES AND SAW NO INDICATION OF ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS. NO FAULT MESSAGES WERE RECEIVED. CAPT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO DEN BECAUSE WE COULD NOT DETERMINE SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL FUMES. INITIATED CABIN SMOKE/FIRE CHKLIST, DECLARED AN EMER, AND BEGAN AN EMER DSCNT WITH A L TURN DIRECT DEN. RECEIVED VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17R AT DEN. SELECTED AUTO BRAKES MEDIUM DUE TO L CORNERING TAILWIND AND LNDG WT (130000 LBS). COMPLETED RED BORDERED CABIN/SMOKE/FUME CHKLIST, DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG CHKLISTS. CABIN SMOKE AND FUMES DISSIPATED DURING DSCNT, HOWEVER, FUMES INCREASED AFTER LNDG AS RPTED BY PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. R PACK OVERHEAT OCCURRED AFTER LNDG WITH ASSOCIATED PACK FAULT MESSAGE. L MAIN GEAR TEMP HEATED TO MAX TEMP OF 605 DEGS C, WHICH CAUSED FUSE PLUGS TO BLOW AT GATE. REQUESTED FIRE TRUCKS TO FOLLOW ACFT TO GATE DUE TO OVERHEATED BRAKES AND IN CASE FUMES WORSENED. OFFLOADING OF PAX WAS NORMAL. PERFORMANCE OF ATC, FLT ATTENDANTS AND FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL WAS EXCELLENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE POSTFLT INSPECTION FAILED TO REVEAL ANY ABNORMAL ACFT COMPONENTS OR SYS MALFUNCTIONS. IT WAS VERY CONFUSING AS THE FUMES WERE QUITE STRONG. HE FURTHER SAID THAT THE ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF AND PLACED BACK INTO SVC THE NEXT DAY. THEY CONTINUED THEIR FLT PATTERN RIGHT AWAY, BEING GIVEN ANOTHER ACFT TO CONTINUE ON TO OAK.

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.