Narrative:

During descent; a flight attendant informed me that there were fumes in the back of the cabin. At just about the same time; my first officer noticed fumes in the cockpit. He said it was burning his eyes; so we donned the oxygen masks and completed the smoke fumes removal immediate action items. The fumes seemed to dissipate until we were on final approach; at which time they seemed to get strong enough for me to notice; so we then declared an emergency. The fire trucks were waiting for us upon arrival. We landed without incidence and had the fire department check the aircraft for leaks; smoke; or fire. Nothing was noticed; so we proceeded to the gate without starting the APU; in case of the possibility of an APU fire or leak around the APU. We explained this to the passenger and they deplaned without incident. The event was a precautionary emergency that worked out without incident. The cabin to cockpit call bell is dangerously loud and can cause unnecessary problems during an emergency; where cockpit to cabin communications are vital. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the crew treated this event as very serious because they had no idea what was happening. He stated that after a thorough investigation maintenance could find nothing wrong with the aircraft. The luggage was also inspected and nothing unusual was found. The reporter stated that his first officer was twice bothered by the fumes including during approach when the crew put their masks on again. The aircraft was on the ground about 5 hours before departing with passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 CREW DETECTED FUMES NEARING THEIR DEST AND DECLARED AN EMER ON FINAL. MAINT FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND THE ACFT DEPARTED LATER.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT; A FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THAT THERE WERE FUMES IN THE BACK OF THE CABIN. AT JUST ABOUT THE SAME TIME; MY FO NOTICED FUMES IN THE COCKPIT. HE SAID IT WAS BURNING HIS EYES; SO WE DONNED THE OXYGEN MASKS AND COMPLETED THE SMOKE FUMES REMOVAL IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS. THE FUMES SEEMED TO DISSIPATE UNTIL WE WERE ON FINAL APCH; AT WHICH TIME THEY SEEMED TO GET STRONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO NOTICE; SO WE THEN DECLARED AN EMER. THE FIRE TRUCKS WERE WAITING FOR US UPON ARR. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENCE AND HAD THE FIRE DEPT CHK THE ACFT FOR LEAKS; SMOKE; OR FIRE. NOTHING WAS NOTICED; SO WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE WITHOUT STARTING THE APU; IN CASE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF AN APU FIRE OR LEAK AROUND THE APU. WE EXPLAINED THIS TO THE PAX AND THEY DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE EVENT WAS A PRECAUTIONARY EMER THAT WORKED OUT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CABIN TO COCKPIT CALL BELL IS DANGEROUSLY LOUD AND CAN CAUSE UNNECESSARY PROBS DURING AN EMER; WHERE COCKPIT TO CABIN COMS ARE VITAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER SAID THE CREW TREATED THIS EVENT AS VERY SERIOUS BECAUSE THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING. HE STATED THAT AFTER A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION MAINTENANCE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ACFT. THE LUGGAGE WAS ALSO INSPECTED AND NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS FOUND. THE REPORTER STATED THAT HIS FO WAS TWICE BOTHERED BY THE FUMES INCLUDING DURING APCH WHEN THE CREW PUT THEIR MASKS ON AGAIN. THE ACFT WAS ON THE GND ABOUT 5 HOURS BEFORE DEPARTING WITH PAX.

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.