Narrative:

We were about 12 miles out on final for runway 35L when we received a call from the purser. She said the aft flight attendants smelled something in the galley that was stronger than de-icing smell; it was more like burnt plastic. I called back to talk with them directly and they repeated the description and said the passenger in the last row could smell it also. There was no visible smoke; but the smell was not dissipating. The conditions did not change for the next few mins. We had good spacing on the aircraft in front of us; but I did not want to take a chance of having to go around; so I notified the tower of what was going on. Although; I did not ask for any assistance; they rolled the fire trucks; which followed us in and two firemen were at the gate when we arrived. Before we knew the firemen would be at the gate; we informed the passenger as to what was going on and instructed them to remain seated while my first officer would go back to the galley and try to determine what the smell was. When he got back there; he thought there was little or no smell at all; a fireman boarded and went to the aft galley and determined there was nothing wrong. A mechanic also met us and did a visual exterior inspection as we pulled in and found nothing. I made a PA to the passenger explaining the smell was probably residual de-icing fluid; there was nothing wrong with the plane; but we didn't want to take any chances. I also thanked them for the cooperation and patience. I don't think that de-boarding was delayed much more than five mins. After everyone was off; the mechanic thoroughly inspected the galley; pulling the coffee pots and running the ovens at full heat. We ran the packs individually full hot and full cold and at full hot we had a hint of glycol. It was determined that residual glycol was probably the problem; signed off aircraft and we flew to mco without any further smells anywhere. The flight attendants did an excellent job of communicating the problem quickly with very good information as to what concerned them.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT CREW ON SHORT FINAL WAS NOTIFIED BY FLT ATTENDANT THERE WAS ABNORMAL ODOR IN THE CABIN. THEY CONTINUED TO A LNDG; AND SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES.

Narrative: WE WERE ABOUT 12 MILES OUT ON FINAL FOR RWY 35L WHEN WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PURSER. SHE SAID THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS SMELLED SOMETHING IN THE GALLEY THAT WAS STRONGER THAN DE-ICING SMELL; IT WAS MORE LIKE BURNT PLASTIC. I CALLED BACK TO TALK WITH THEM DIRECTLY AND THEY REPEATED THE DESCRIPTION AND SAID THE PAX IN THE LAST ROW COULD SMELL IT ALSO. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SMOKE; BUT THE SMELL WAS NOT DISSIPATING. THE CONDITIONS DID NOT CHANGE FOR THE NEXT FEW MINS. WE HAD GOOD SPACING ON THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US; BUT I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE OF HAVING TO GAR; SO I NOTIFIED THE TWR OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. ALTHOUGH; I DID NOT ASK FOR ANY ASSISTANCE; THEY ROLLED THE FIRE TRUCKS; WHICH FOLLOWED US IN AND TWO FIREMEN WERE AT THE GATE WHEN WE ARRIVED. BEFORE WE KNEW THE FIREMEN WOULD BE AT THE GATE; WE INFORMED THE PAX AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO REMAIN SEATED WHILE MY FO WOULD GO BACK TO THE GALLEY AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE SMELL WAS. WHEN HE GOT BACK THERE; HE THOUGHT THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO SMELL AT ALL; A FIREMAN BOARDED AND WENT TO THE AFT GALLEY AND DETERMINED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. A MECHANIC ALSO MET US AND DID A VISUAL EXTERIOR INSPECTION AS WE PULLED IN AND FOUND NOTHING. I MADE A PA TO THE PAX EXPLAINING THE SMELL WAS PROBABLY RESIDUAL DE-ICING FLUID; THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PLANE; BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. I ALSO THANKED THEM FOR THE COOPERATION AND PATIENCE. I DON'T THINK THAT DE-BOARDING WAS DELAYED MUCH MORE THAN FIVE MINS. AFTER EVERYONE WAS OFF; THE MECHANIC THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE GALLEY; PULLING THE COFFEE POTS AND RUNNING THE OVENS AT FULL HEAT. WE RAN THE PACKS INDIVIDUALLY FULL HOT AND FULL COLD AND AT FULL HOT WE HAD A HINT OF GLYCOL. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT RESIDUAL GLYCOL WAS PROBABLY THE PROB; SIGNED OFF ACFT AND WE FLEW TO MCO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER SMELLS ANYWHERE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF COMMUNICATING THE PROB QUICKLY WITH VERY GOOD INFORMATION AS TO WHAT CONCERNED THEM.

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.