Narrative:

While conducting flight XXXX, cruise flight at FL390, a loud vibration was noted by both first officer and captain at XA15Z. First officer called purser in forward galley and inquired about the use of ovens and the other prospective source of vibrations. At approximately XA17Z the vibration stopped while the smell of smoke and burning insulation increased in the cockpit. Captain and first officer immediately donned oxygen masks. First officer ran smoke/fume in cockpit qrc while captain flew the aircraft. Captain declared an emergency with ARTCC and requested immediate clearance to dtw. First officer notified purser of divert plans, aircraft situation, and estimated arrival time. Acrid smell continued to intensify during descent. First officer advised purser to run the preparation for evacuate/evacuation check from her seat. Passing FL200, crew received a vent extract fault ECAM, suggesting a fan failure/seizure. ECAM procedures were completed by positioning the extract fan to override. Detroit approach coordinated an ILS runway 22R approach. A normal approach and landing was accomplished at XA35Z. Captain elected to stop on the runway and announced to the passenger to remain in their seats. Tower, fire/rescue personnel, and flight attendants did not see any smoke either in the cabin or on the exterior of the aircraft. Aircraft remained on the runway for the inspection. Fire crews opened the avionics bays to inspect for fire. No evidence of fire was noted. On scene fire commander gave the captain the 'all clear.' captain made the decision to taxi back to the gate and remove the passenger. On the way to the gate, dtw ground control held us short of runway 22L for 1 arrival and 1 departure despite our emergency status. Captain asked ground why they were holding us short of the runway 22L and was told ATC was trying to fill a gap in the traffic flow with the next departure. Cockpit received a call from the aft cabin saying the passenger were choking on the fumes. Immediate clearance was then issued to cross runway 22L. Taxi to gate and engine shutdown was normally accomplished at XA50Z. The passenger were deplaned. The captain elected to continue to the gate due to the lack of any visible flames/smoke/heat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW HAS FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONICS BAY EXTRACT FAN WHICH CAUSED FUMES TO ENTER THE ACFT'S AIR CONDITIONING SYS REQUIRING A DIVERT TO DTW.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING FLT XXXX, CRUISE FLT AT FL390, A LOUD VIBRATION WAS NOTED BY BOTH FO AND CAPT AT XA15Z. FO CALLED PURSER IN FORWARD GALLEY AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE USE OF OVENS AND THE OTHER PROSPECTIVE SOURCE OF VIBRATIONS. AT APPROX XA17Z THE VIBRATION STOPPED WHILE THE SMELL OF SMOKE AND BURNING INSULATION INCREASED IN THE COCKPIT. CAPT AND FO IMMEDIATELY DONNED OXYGEN MASKS. FO RAN SMOKE/FUME IN COCKPIT QRC WHILE CAPT FLEW THE ACFT. CAPT DECLARED AN EMER WITH ARTCC AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE CLRNC TO DTW. FO NOTIFIED PURSER OF DIVERT PLANS, ACFT SIT, AND ESTIMATED ARR TIME. ACRID SMELL CONTINUED TO INTENSIFY DURING DSCNT. FO ADVISED PURSER TO RUN THE PREPARATION FOR EVAC CHK FROM HER SEAT. PASSING FL200, CREW RECEIVED A VENT EXTRACT FAULT ECAM, SUGGESTING A FAN FAILURE/SEIZURE. ECAM PROCS WERE COMPLETED BY POSITIONING THE EXTRACT FAN TO OVERRIDE. DETROIT APCH COORDINATED AN ILS RWY 22R APCH. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT XA35Z. CAPT ELECTED TO STOP ON THE RWY AND ANNOUNCED TO THE PAX TO REMAIN IN THEIR SEATS. TWR, FIRE/RESCUE PERSONNEL, AND FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT SEE ANY SMOKE EITHER IN THE CABIN OR ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT. ACFT REMAINED ON THE RWY FOR THE INSPECTION. FIRE CREWS OPENED THE AVIONICS BAYS TO INSPECT FOR FIRE. NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE WAS NOTED. ON SCENE FIRE COMMANDER GAVE THE CAPT THE 'ALL CLR.' CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO TAXI BACK TO THE GATE AND REMOVE THE PAX. ON THE WAY TO THE GATE, DTW GND CTL HELD US SHORT OF RWY 22L FOR 1 ARR AND 1 DEP DESPITE OUR EMER STATUS. CAPT ASKED GND WHY THEY WERE HOLDING US SHORT OF THE RWY 22L AND WAS TOLD ATC WAS TRYING TO FILL A GAP IN THE TFC FLOW WITH THE NEXT DEP. COCKPIT RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE AFT CABIN SAYING THE PAX WERE CHOKING ON THE FUMES. IMMEDIATE CLRNC WAS THEN ISSUED TO CROSS RWY 22L. TAXI TO GATE AND ENG SHUTDOWN WAS NORMALLY ACCOMPLISHED AT XA50Z. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED. THE CAPT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE GATE DUE TO THE LACK OF ANY VISIBLE FLAMES/SMOKE/HEAT.

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.