Narrative:

Prior to departure, maintenance action required deactivation of smoke detectors in all lavatories, and all lavatories were inoperative'ed and taped shut per MEL maintenance action. Passenger and crew were advised of this condition. During climb out from lax, passing 7000 ft MSL, I thought I detected a momentary odor of undetermined origin, but wasn't sure. Asked first officer, who said he had smelled something momentarily as well. As a precaution, I told first officer to contact purser, and have all areas of the aircraft, including the lavatories, checked for any possible sources of fumes. I advised ATC of the situation, asked for and received leveloff at 10000 ft MSL, delay vectors, and at ATC suggestion, a turn back towards lax as a precaution. Masks were donned as a precaution, though there was no indication of any condition that we would require them. Delay in lax area was due to time needed to open all lavatories and inspect them, including waste containers and compartments. A deadheading air carrier flight crew member and flight attendants confirmed no odors or abnormal conditions anywhere in cabin or lavatories, and no further smells were detected in cockpit after the initial momentary indication. At no time was there any visible sign of any abnormal situation, either on instrumentation or physically. Delay was strictly precautionary, to determine if there was a problem. Upon determining that there was no smoke, fumes, or unusual odors on the aircraft, and no ECAM or other indications of an abnormal situation, decision was made to continue. Subsequent flight and landing at sfo was normal and without incident. Crew inquiry, advocacy, coordination, communication, and response were excellent, as was ATC assistance. Because no emergency, irregular, or additional procedures were used, and because the ATC maneuvering was not done under emergency authority/authorized but rather as a precaution, no report was filed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW WAS DISPATCHED WITH ALL LAVATORIES MEL'ED INOP, BECAUSE THE LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTORS WERE NOT WORKING. THE CAPT THOUGHT HE DETECTED AN ODOR AND HAD THE CABIN AND LAVATORIES CHKED BEFORE LEAVING THE LAX AREA.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP, MAINT ACTION REQUIRED DEACTIVATION OF SMOKE DETECTORS IN ALL LAVATORIES, AND ALL LAVATORIES WERE INOP'ED AND TAPED SHUT PER MEL MAINT ACTION. PAX AND CREW WERE ADVISED OF THIS CONDITION. DURING CLBOUT FROM LAX, PASSING 7000 FT MSL, I THOUGHT I DETECTED A MOMENTARY ODOR OF UNDETERMINED ORIGIN, BUT WASN'T SURE. ASKED FO, WHO SAID HE HAD SMELLED SOMETHING MOMENTARILY AS WELL. AS A PRECAUTION, I TOLD FO TO CONTACT PURSER, AND HAVE ALL AREAS OF THE ACFT, INCLUDING THE LAVATORIES, CHKED FOR ANY POSSIBLE SOURCES OF FUMES. I ADVISED ATC OF THE SIT, ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED LEVELOFF AT 10000 FT MSL, DELAY VECTORS, AND AT ATC SUGGESTION, A TURN BACK TOWARDS LAX AS A PRECAUTION. MASKS WERE DONNED AS A PRECAUTION, THOUGH THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY CONDITION THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE THEM. DELAY IN LAX AREA WAS DUE TO TIME NEEDED TO OPEN ALL LAVATORIES AND INSPECT THEM, INCLUDING WASTE CONTAINERS AND COMPARTMENTS. A DEADHEADING ACR FLT CREW MEMBER AND FLT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED NO ODORS OR ABNORMAL CONDITIONS ANYWHERE IN CABIN OR LAVATORIES, AND NO FURTHER SMELLS WERE DETECTED IN COCKPIT AFTER THE INITIAL MOMENTARY INDICATION. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY VISIBLE SIGN OF ANY ABNORMAL SIT, EITHER ON INSTRUMENTATION OR PHYSICALLY. DELAY WAS STRICTLY PRECAUTIONARY, TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A PROB. UPON DETERMINING THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE, FUMES, OR UNUSUAL ODORS ON THE ACFT, AND NO ECAM OR OTHER INDICATIONS OF AN ABNORMAL SIT, DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE. SUBSEQUENT FLT AND LNDG AT SFO WAS NORMAL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. CREW INQUIRY, ADVOCACY, COORD, COM, AND RESPONSE WERE EXCELLENT, AS WAS ATC ASSISTANCE. BECAUSE NO EMER, IRREGULAR, OR ADDITIONAL PROCS WERE USED, AND BECAUSE THE ATC MANEUVERING WAS NOT DONE UNDER EMER AUTH BUT RATHER AS A PRECAUTION, NO RPT WAS FILED.

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.