Narrative:

I am writing this as an FYI to maintenance and to other A320 pilots who may encounter the same issue and may wish to troubleshoot the problem before it deteriorates into something potentially serious. About 30 mins after takeoff; we started to feel a vibration in the floor of the cockpit. Almost immediately the 'a' flight attendant called and said he heard a popping sound (like a spring breaking loose) from below the first class galley. He said that there was a vibration in the floor in the galley as well. The captain sent me back to investigate. About 1-2 ft inboard of 1R door and just forward of the galley carts the floor was vibrating. It was strong enough to feel in my feet in the cockpit. The system page was normal and there were no other indications of a problem. We were concerned about the avionics door in the floor near the galley. The captain contacted maintenance via ACARS; told them what happened. The maintenance controller suggested it may be a clogged vent that was near that location and told us to write it up and they would look into it in ZZZ. I said I didn't think that's what it was and advocated a route closer to land should the situation deteriorate to a point that we might have to divert. The captain agreed; contacted dispatch; and he came up with a route close to mia; which; after consulting ZMA and advising them of our issue; we accepted. About 2 hours after the vibration began; and after a B767 captain came up to tell us what he felt in the back. We advised him what was happening and told him to keep us posted regarding anything he might notice; smells; etc; in the back. About 10 mins later the vibration got noticeably more intense. Soon after; the captain went to take a break; in the lavatory. While he was there; and the controller was reading me a rerte; the vibration became noisy and intense; then it stopped. Within 5 seconds; a 'vent-blower extract fault' appeared on the upper ECAM. I completed the ECAM and the captain returned. I advised him what had happened. We got a noticeable smell of electrical odor; but it dissipated fairly quickly in the cockpit. Then the 'a' flight attendant called and let us know that the captain in the back smelled it as well. At this point we knew the extract fan had quit so unless the smell got worse we elected to continue. The captain contacted maintenance with the latest developments and I reviewed the avionics smoke procedure just in case the fan caught fire. We decided to go to clt in case we had a further problem. There was no further problem. Please let maintenance know that vibrations in the floor of the galley may be a fault fan in the east&east compartment. Troubleshooting this effectively from the start may have kept the fan from burning out. Later we noticed that the extract fan circuit breaker had popped on the lower circuit breaker panel. We landed safely at ord without incident.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW EXPERIENCED PROLONGED FORWARD CABIN FLOOR VIBRATIONS. FINALLY AN ECAM 'VENT-BLOWER-EXTRACT-FAULT' ANNUNCIATED FOLLOWED BY A FAINT ELECTRICAL SMELL.

Narrative: I AM WRITING THIS AS AN FYI TO MAINT AND TO OTHER A320 PLTS WHO MAY ENCOUNTER THE SAME ISSUE AND MAY WISH TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB BEFORE IT DETERIORATES INTO SOMETHING POTENTIALLY SERIOUS. ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER TKOF; WE STARTED TO FEEL A VIBRATION IN THE FLOOR OF THE COCKPIT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND SAID HE HEARD A POPPING SOUND (LIKE A SPRING BREAKING LOOSE) FROM BELOW THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A VIBRATION IN THE FLOOR IN THE GALLEY AS WELL. THE CAPT SENT ME BACK TO INVESTIGATE. ABOUT 1-2 FT INBOARD OF 1R DOOR AND JUST FORWARD OF THE GALLEY CARTS THE FLOOR WAS VIBRATING. IT WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO FEEL IN MY FEET IN THE COCKPIT. THE SYS PAGE WAS NORMAL AND THERE WERE NO OTHER INDICATIONS OF A PROB. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AVIONICS DOOR IN THE FLOOR NEAR THE GALLEY. THE CAPT CONTACTED MAINT VIA ACARS; TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THE MAINT CTLR SUGGESTED IT MAY BE A CLOGGED VENT THAT WAS NEAR THAT LOCATION AND TOLD US TO WRITE IT UP AND THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT IN ZZZ. I SAID I DIDN'T THINK THAT'S WHAT IT WAS AND ADVOCATED A RTE CLOSER TO LAND SHOULD THE SITUATION DETERIORATE TO A POINT THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO DIVERT. THE CAPT AGREED; CONTACTED DISPATCH; AND HE CAME UP WITH A RTE CLOSE TO MIA; WHICH; AFTER CONSULTING ZMA AND ADVISING THEM OF OUR ISSUE; WE ACCEPTED. ABOUT 2 HRS AFTER THE VIBRATION BEGAN; AND AFTER A B767 CAPT CAME UP TO TELL US WHAT HE FELT IN THE BACK. WE ADVISED HIM WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND TOLD HIM TO KEEP US POSTED REGARDING ANYTHING HE MIGHT NOTICE; SMELLS; ETC; IN THE BACK. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER THE VIBRATION GOT NOTICEABLY MORE INTENSE. SOON AFTER; THE CAPT WENT TO TAKE A BREAK; IN THE LAVATORY. WHILE HE WAS THERE; AND THE CTLR WAS READING ME A RERTE; THE VIBRATION BECAME NOISY AND INTENSE; THEN IT STOPPED. WITHIN 5 SECONDS; A 'VENT-BLOWER EXTRACT FAULT' APPEARED ON THE UPPER ECAM. I COMPLETED THE ECAM AND THE CAPT RETURNED. I ADVISED HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE GOT A NOTICEABLE SMELL OF ELECTRICAL ODOR; BUT IT DISSIPATED FAIRLY QUICKLY IN THE COCKPIT. THEN THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND LET US KNOW THAT THE CAPT IN THE BACK SMELLED IT AS WELL. AT THIS POINT WE KNEW THE EXTRACT FAN HAD QUIT SO UNLESS THE SMELL GOT WORSE WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE. THE CAPT CONTACTED MAINT WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND I REVIEWED THE AVIONICS SMOKE PROC JUST IN CASE THE FAN CAUGHT FIRE. WE DECIDED TO GO TO CLT IN CASE WE HAD A FURTHER PROB. THERE WAS NO FURTHER PROB. PLEASE LET MAINT KNOW THAT VIBRATIONS IN THE FLOOR OF THE GALLEY MAY BE A FAULT FAN IN THE E&E COMPARTMENT. TROUBLESHOOTING THIS EFFECTIVELY FROM THE START MAY HAVE KEPT THE FAN FROM BURNING OUT. LATER WE NOTICED THAT THE EXTRACT FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED ON THE LOWER CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL. WE LANDED SAFELY AT ORD WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.