Narrative:

Approximately 45 minutes into flight at cruise altitude FL320 we detected an odor in cockpit suspect of electrical fault/abnormality. Detection of smell occurred a few minutes before flight attendants delivered breakfast to cockpit. Pilots requested input from flight attendant during food delivery; who specified that all was normal in cabin yet when she stepped into cockpit she confirmed electrical odor in cockpit. Excluding the odor; all cockpit indications were normal yet we chose to return to ZZZ. During turn to ZZZ; vent extract fault ECAM displayed. Thereafter; aft flight attendant called cockpit to inform us of electrical odor in rear of cabin. We informed the flight attendant of current cockpit indication and our return to ZZZ. During ECAM procedure and voice contact with dispatch; aft flight attendant again called to inform us the smell was intensifying. At this point in time pilots and dispatch agreed to land the airplane at the nearest suitable airport being ZZZ1. We declared an emergency; continued our turn to our new diversion airport of ZZZ1 and started our descent as well as cockpit preparations for landing at diversion airport. We informed all of the flight attendants of our new plan of diverting to ZZZ1; gave 'cabin advisory;' briefed that we did not expect smoke or evacuate/evacuation after landing; expect a short taxi to gate; briefed estimated time remaining and expected conditions upon landing. At this time captain briefed passenger of current situation; our divert to ZZZ1; ETA; and expected conditions upon landing. We went on oxygen during descent while performing the cabin/cockpit smoke qrc. Performed overweight checklist; set up and briefed approach; approach descent checklist and stayed on oxygen till final approach. During descent; we advised ATC of our intent to maintain approximately 330 below 10000 ft to expedite our arrival since the electrical odor had not dissipated. Landed above maximum landing weight at minimal sink rate without incident. Taxied to gate while being escorted by emergency equipment. At gate; arff performed visual and heat sensing inspection. Arff detected strong electrical odor in electronics bay and asked us to completely de-power the airplane and also asked the contract mechanic to disconnect the airplane batteries. The electrical smell was very strong in cockpit even numerous hours after airplane was de-powered. We determined that continuing our trip was not in the company's or our best interest and respectfully requested to be temporarily removed from flying.callback conversation with reporter 726904 revealed the following information: maintenance found that the avionics vent fan had failed which caused all the problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 DETECTS ELECTRICAL FUMES AT FL320 AND DIVERTS.

Narrative: APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES INTO FLT AT CRUISE ALT FL320 WE DETECTED AN ODOR IN COCKPIT SUSPECT OF ELECTRICAL FAULT/ABNORMALITY. DETECTION OF SMELL OCCURRED A FEW MINUTES BEFORE FLT ATTENDANTS DELIVERED BREAKFAST TO COCKPIT. PLTS REQUESTED INPUT FROM FLT ATTENDANT DURING FOOD DELIVERY; WHO SPECIFIED THAT ALL WAS NORMAL IN CABIN YET WHEN SHE STEPPED INTO COCKPIT SHE CONFIRMED ELECTRICAL ODOR IN COCKPIT. EXCLUDING THE ODOR; ALL COCKPIT INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL YET WE CHOSE TO RETURN TO ZZZ. DURING TURN TO ZZZ; VENT EXTRACT FAULT ECAM DISPLAYED. THEREAFTER; AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED COCKPIT TO INFORM US OF ELECTRICAL ODOR IN REAR OF CABIN. WE INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANT OF CURRENT COCKPIT INDICATION AND OUR RETURN TO ZZZ. DURING ECAM PROC AND VOICE CONTACT WITH DISPATCH; AFT FLT ATTENDANT AGAIN CALLED TO INFORM US THE SMELL WAS INTENSIFYING. AT THIS POINT IN TIME PLTS AND DISPATCH AGREED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT BEING ZZZ1. WE DECLARED AN EMER; CONTINUED OUR TURN TO OUR NEW DIVERSION ARPT OF ZZZ1 AND STARTED OUR DSCNT AS WELL AS COCKPIT PREPARATIONS FOR LNDG AT DIVERSION ARPT. WE INFORMED ALL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF OUR NEW PLAN OF DIVERTING TO ZZZ1; GAVE 'CABIN ADVISORY;' BRIEFED THAT WE DID NOT EXPECT SMOKE OR EVAC AFTER LNDG; EXPECT A SHORT TAXI TO GATE; BRIEFED ESTIMATED TIME REMAINING AND EXPECTED CONDITIONS UPON LNDG. AT THIS TIME CAPT BRIEFED PAX OF CURRENT SITUATION; OUR DIVERT TO ZZZ1; ETA; AND EXPECTED CONDITIONS UPON LNDG. WE WENT ON OXYGEN DURING DSCNT WHILE PERFORMING THE CABIN/COCKPIT SMOKE QRC. PERFORMED OVERWT CHKLIST; SET UP AND BRIEFED APCH; APCH DSCNT CHKLIST AND STAYED ON OXYGEN TILL FINAL APCH. DURING DSCNT; WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR INTENT TO MAINTAIN APPROX 330 BELOW 10000 FT TO EXPEDITE OUR ARR SINCE THE ELECTRICAL ODOR HAD NOT DISSIPATED. LANDED ABOVE MAXIMUM LNDG WT AT MINIMAL SINK RATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. TAXIED TO GATE WHILE BEING ESCORTED BY EMER EQUIP. AT GATE; ARFF PERFORMED VISUAL AND HEAT SENSING INSPECTION. ARFF DETECTED STRONG ELECTRICAL ODOR IN ELECTRONICS BAY AND ASKED US TO COMPLETELY DE-POWER THE AIRPLANE AND ALSO ASKED THE CONTRACT MECHANIC TO DISCONNECT THE AIRPLANE BATTERIES. THE ELECTRICAL SMELL WAS VERY STRONG IN COCKPIT EVEN NUMEROUS HOURS AFTER AIRPLANE WAS DE-POWERED. WE DETERMINED THAT CONTINUING OUR TRIP WAS NOT IN THE COMPANY'S OR OUR BEST INTEREST AND RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED TO BE TEMPORARILY REMOVED FROM FLYING.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 726904 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: MAINT FOUND THAT THE AVIONICS VENT FAN HAD FAILED WHICH CAUSED ALL THE PROBS.

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.