Narrative:

During cruise flight at FL360; we began to feel and hear a vibration. Seemed to be coming from beneath the cockpit. Vibration came and went; then came back steady. Called the 'a' flight attendant to hear her observations on the noise. Shortly thereafter; began to notice the smell of smoke. The first officer and I donned our oxygen masks and established communications. I informed ATC that we had smoke in the cockpit and would be descending. First officer began the descent and we reviewed and accomplished the qrc procedure. We were roughly the same distance away from ZZZ1 and ZZZ2; but ZZZ1 had beautiful clear skies and ZZZ2 did not; and as simple as it may seem; that is exactly how I chose ZZZ1 for our diversion site. I eventually did speak with dispatch on radio #2 and informed him that we were diverting to ZZZ1 due to smoke in the cockpit. I called the 'a' flight attendant and informed her that we were diverting to ZZZ1 due to smoke/fumes in the cockpit and that we would be on the ground in approximately 7 mins. I also told her that I did not think a prepare for evacuate/evacuation was necessary. With assistance from ATC; got established on final to runway in ZZZ1 and landed normally; albeit 3000 pounds over maximum landing weight. We exited the runway and spoke with the awaiting crash fire rescue equipment personnel on VHF #1. With their assessment of no visible smoke or fire; we taxied to the ramp in front of the control tower; started the APU and shut down the engines. Opening the cockpit windows; we established direct verbal communications with crash fire rescue equipment as well as airport personnel. They were able to locate an airstair truck and we deplaned the passenger into the ZZZ1 airport terminal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that the problem was caused by an avionics intake fan bearing failure; adding this instrument cooling system has an intake fan and an exhaust fan both operating at the same time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 IN CRUISE AT FL360 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO VIBRATION AND SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. CAUSED BY A FAILED AVIONICS INTAKE FAN BEARING FAILURE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT AT FL360; WE BEGAN TO FEEL AND HEAR A VIBRATION. SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM BENEATH THE COCKPIT. VIBRATION CAME AND WENT; THEN CAME BACK STEADY. CALLED THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT TO HEAR HER OBSERVATIONS ON THE NOISE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; BEGAN TO NOTICE THE SMELL OF SMOKE. THE FO AND I DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND ESTABLISHED COMS. I INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND WOULD BE DSNDING. FO BEGAN THE DSCNT AND WE REVIEWED AND ACCOMPLISHED THE QRC PROC. WE WERE ROUGHLY THE SAME DISTANCE AWAY FROM ZZZ1 AND ZZZ2; BUT ZZZ1 HAD BEAUTIFUL CLR SKIES AND ZZZ2 DID NOT; AND AS SIMPLE AS IT MAY SEEM; THAT IS EXACTLY HOW I CHOSE ZZZ1 FOR OUR DIVERSION SITE. I EVENTUALLY DID SPEAK WITH DISPATCH ON RADIO #2 AND INFORMED HIM THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO ZZZ1 DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. I CALLED THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT AND INFORMED HER THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO ZZZ1 DUE TO SMOKE/FUMES IN THE COCKPIT AND THAT WE WOULD BE ON THE GND IN APPROX 7 MINS. I ALSO TOLD HER THAT I DID NOT THINK A PREPARE FOR EVAC WAS NECESSARY. WITH ASSISTANCE FROM ATC; GOT ESTABLISHED ON FINAL TO RWY IN ZZZ1 AND LANDED NORMALLY; ALBEIT 3000 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT. WE EXITED THE RWY AND SPOKE WITH THE AWAITING CFR PERSONNEL ON VHF #1. WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT OF NO VISIBLE SMOKE OR FIRE; WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP IN FRONT OF THE CTL TWR; STARTED THE APU AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. OPENING THE COCKPIT WINDOWS; WE ESTABLISHED DIRECT VERBAL COMS WITH CFR AS WELL AS ARPT PERSONNEL. THEY WERE ABLE TO LOCATE AN AIRSTAIR TRUCK AND WE DEPLANED THE PAX INTO THE ZZZ1 ARPT TERMINAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY AN AVIONICS INTAKE FAN BEARING FAILURE; ADDING THIS INST COOLING SYS HAS AN INTAKE FAN AND AN EXHAUST FAN BOTH OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.