Narrative:

During cruise at FL350 approximately 70 mi east of the sby VOR, operating from jfk to pbi, the first officer and I noticed smoke rising from the center console of aircraft in an amount about equal to a smoker's exhale. Within a few moments, the #1 flight attendant called the flight deck to say they could smell burning insulation, mostly in the forward cabin. No other smoke was noted, no equipment malfunctioned, no ECAM occurred and no circuit breakers were noted to have popped. We notified ZDC and sent an ACARS message to company operations of the problem. The smoke was gone from the flight deck prior to completion of the smoke checklist. The #1 flight attendant called again to say that the smell was gone from the cabin. I informed her that we were going to return to jfk and to advise me if there was any change in the cabin. We declared an emergency with ZDC. Maintenance control was contacted through a phone patch with commercial radio. We did get a landing gear control indicator unit 2 ECAM advisory while descending through 8000 ft approximately 30 mi from jfk. A visual approach was completed to runway 31R at jfk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT, PF, OBSERVED SMOKE ON THE FLT DECK AFTER DEP, WHICH WAS ALSO DETECTED IN FRONT OF PAX CABIN, CAUSING HIM TO RETURN TO JFK.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE AT FL350 APPROX 70 MI E OF THE SBY VOR, OPERATING FROM JFK TO PBI, THE FO AND I NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE CTR CONSOLE OF ACFT IN AN AMOUNT ABOUT EQUAL TO A SMOKER'S EXHALE. WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE FLT DECK TO SAY THEY COULD SMELL BURNING INSULATION, MOSTLY IN THE FORWARD CABIN. NO OTHER SMOKE WAS NOTED, NO EQUIP MALFUNCTIONED, NO ECAM OCCURRED AND NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE NOTED TO HAVE POPPED. WE NOTIFIED ZDC AND SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO COMPANY OPS OF THE PROB. THE SMOKE WAS GONE FROM THE FLT DECK PRIOR TO COMPLETION OF THE SMOKE CHKLIST. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AGAIN TO SAY THAT THE SMELL WAS GONE FROM THE CABIN. I INFORMED HER THAT WE WERE GOING TO RETURN TO JFK AND TO ADVISE ME IF THERE WAS ANY CHANGE IN THE CABIN. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZDC. MAINT CTL WAS CONTACTED THROUGH A PHONE PATCH WITH COMMERCIAL RADIO. WE DID GET A LNDG GEAR CTL INDICATOR UNIT 2 ECAM ADVISORY WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 8000 FT APPROX 30 MI FROM JFK. A VISUAL APCH WAS COMPLETED TO RWY 31R AT JFK.

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.