Narrative:

During descent into ord, I noticed what I thought was a damp smell. I made a comment to the first officer as well. We just thought it was due to the fact that a cold front had moved through ord. Then at approximately 8000 ft, we received a call from the purser who was in the rear of the aircraft. She said they had an electrical smell and that it was getting stronger. At the same time she was telling me this, we got an avionics vent fault ECAM. When we got that, I went to override and told ATC we would like to declare an emergency. We got priority handling and landed without incident. The emergency equipment followed us off the runway and to the gate and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FEELING BY THE COCKPIT AND CABIN CREW THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG DUE TO FUMES AND ODORS DURING APCH TO ORD IS VALIDATED BY A SUBSEQUENT COCKPIT WARNING OF AN AVIONICS VENT FAULT ON AN A320.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO ORD, I NOTICED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A DAMP SMELL. I MADE A COMMENT TO THE FO AS WELL. WE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT A COLD FRONT HAD MOVED THROUGH ORD. THEN AT APPROX 8000 FT, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PURSER WHO WAS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. SHE SAID THEY HAD AN ELECTRICAL SMELL AND THAT IT WAS GETTING STRONGER. AT THE SAME TIME SHE WAS TELLING ME THIS, WE GOT AN AVIONICS VENT FAULT ECAM. WHEN WE GOT THAT, I WENT TO OVERRIDE AND TOLD ATC WE WOULD LIKE TO DECLARE AN EMER. WE GOT PRIORITY HANDLING AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE EMER EQUIP FOLLOWED US OFF THE RWY AND TO THE GATE AND SAW NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

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.