Narrative:

Approximately 45-60 mins after takeoff and at cruise/FL340; we experienced a vent blower fault. There was an audible 'pop' and a winding down sound; it almost sounded like an engine failure in the simulator. Right away we experienced a burning electrical odor in the cockpit. We donned oxygen and while the first officer continued control of the aircraft; I ran the ECAM procedure. The ECAM directed the blower to ovrd which vented the avionics cooling air overboard. After a few mins the odor dissipated enough to come off oxygen. I contacted dispatch and got a phone patch with maintenance. We decided to continue on to ZZZ because the blower fan was now off and inoperative and the burning smell had gotten better and the avionics was being cooled with pack air. We turned off the cabin fans (recirculation fans) because the odor slightly returned with them on. I notified the flight attendants and told them the situation and they only had a faint odor in the forward cabin and none in the rear of the aircraft. Later; on short final into ZZZ; we received an extract fault ECAM. Both blower and extract fan switches had been in ovrd since the event occurred. Looking back on the event; I noticed a louder than usual noise coming from the nose of the aircraft after takeoff. It sounded like a seal from around the nose gear door was loose. It was in fact the blower fan. ATC was never notified of any problem and no priority was required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 AVIONICS COOLING FAN FAILED DURING CRUISE; EMITTING FUMES INTO THE COCKPIT. CHECKLIST PROCEDURE WAS ACCOMPLISHED; FUMES DISSIPATED; AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO DEST.

Narrative: APPROX 45-60 MINS AFTER TKOF AND AT CRUISE/FL340; WE EXPERIENCED A VENT BLOWER FAULT. THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE 'POP' AND A WINDING DOWN SOUND; IT ALMOST SOUNDED LIKE AN ENG FAILURE IN THE SIMULATOR. RIGHT AWAY WE EXPERIENCED A BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR IN THE COCKPIT. WE DONNED OXYGEN AND WHILE THE FO CONTINUED CTL OF THE ACFT; I RAN THE ECAM PROC. THE ECAM DIRECTED THE BLOWER TO OVRD WHICH VENTED THE AVIONICS COOLING AIR OVERBOARD. AFTER A FEW MINS THE ODOR DISSIPATED ENOUGH TO COME OFF OXYGEN. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND GOT A PHONE PATCH WITH MAINT. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ BECAUSE THE BLOWER FAN WAS NOW OFF AND INOP AND THE BURNING SMELL HAD GOTTEN BETTER AND THE AVIONICS WAS BEING COOLED WITH PACK AIR. WE TURNED OFF THE CABIN FANS (RECIRCULATION FANS) BECAUSE THE ODOR SLIGHTLY RETURNED WITH THEM ON. I NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TOLD THEM THE SITUATION AND THEY ONLY HAD A FAINT ODOR IN THE FORWARD CABIN AND NONE IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. LATER; ON SHORT FINAL INTO ZZZ; WE RECEIVED AN EXTRACT FAULT ECAM. BOTH BLOWER AND EXTRACT FAN SWITCHES HAD BEEN IN OVRD SINCE THE EVENT OCCURRED. LOOKING BACK ON THE EVENT; I NOTICED A LOUDER THAN USUAL NOISE COMING FROM THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AFTER TKOF. IT SOUNDED LIKE A SEAL FROM AROUND THE NOSE GEAR DOOR WAS LOOSE. IT WAS IN FACT THE BLOWER FAN. ATC WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY PROB AND NO PRIORITY WAS REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.