Narrative:

As PF; at FL380; mid-point along route; we were notified by the purser that there was a weak burning smell within the cabin. Nothing unusual was noticed within the cockpit. All systems were normal and no ecams were present. No aircraft deferred items were related. We donned our flight deck oxygen masks and proceeded to gather more information. We asked for additional input from aft cabin crew; some deadheading flight attendants and one off-line jumpseating pilot. All were independent and unbiased crew members. All stated that the smell was similar to burning electrical or overheated electrical components. We concurrently initiated the smoke/cabin procedure; holding at 'initiate descent.' we were then notified that the burning smell in the cabin had stopped. A flight emergency was declared; and after considering our position en route; lack of known or accessible immediate airfields and present updated situation; we both agreed to divert into ZZZ about 25 mins away. The cabin crew was advised with an 'all call' interphone conversation as to time remaining; our immediate plans; expectations based on present or worsening aircraft status; and a cabin advisory was directed to be put into play. The cabin crew was asked to notify us with any secondary events. A PA announcement was made and all passenger were brought up to speed; reassured and advised as to our issues; status; and expectations upon arrival. The cabin crew was updated with our ETA and continuing input was requested to any changes in the cabin fumes. No smoke was ever observed. Dispatch was notified of all issues and intentions. We discussed and reviewed additional and emergency procedures within the flight manual and discussed any pertaining issues as well as to 'what ifs.' pre-landing; we agreed that we would stop the aircraft until we get input from the emergency equipment and tower personnel as to the visual check for smoke or fire. The cabin crew was advised accordingly and an evacuate/evacuation would be initiated with any outside source claiming visual fire or smoke. During the descent; we were advised that a passenger was now on emergency oxygen and medical personnel were requested within the cabin to assist. Additional communication was sent requesting emt to meet the aircraft also. This passenger was in the front of the aircraft in seat 2D. Upon landing in ZZZ; it was determined that all appeared to be normal outside the aircraft; and there were no existing 'burning electrical' fumes within the cabin. All noxious fumes stopped at the completion of our QRH back at altitude. We continued to the gate. Emt and fire crews followed us to the gate. Upon the opening of the forward door entry; I directed the emt's in the jetway to wait for the passenger to deplane before blocking exiting passenger in an attempt to help the ill passenger. I did not want passenger to remain on this aircraft any longer than needed. This ill passenger was treated; recovered and continued her flight with us to ZZZ1 on the next aircraft. I was advised during cockpit postflt clean-up; by the fire crew chief; that no hot spots were found in the cabin and the baggage areas were now being searched. A few mins later; after QRH switches were repositioned to the normal position; the fumes immediately returned on the port side; row 3 back to row 19. The smell was a definite bitter and unusual smell of hot fabric or metal. We again de-powered the switches and the smell stopped. After debriefing various fire crew and operations personnel in the jetway; we continued to the new aircraft to set up and complete our flight to ZZZ1. Conclusion: 3 points of interest were brought up by crew debrief. 1) during the heat of battle; numerous ACARS messages were sent to dispatch but none to maintenance control. That was not the intent; but it was a busy situation. I received a cell call from maintenance control during the chaos following the deplaning. His first comment was 'why are you in ZZZ?' I then debriefed maintenance control to the full extent possible; while the first officer and I were juggling numerous other issues with various personnel; fuelers; tanker downloads; dispatch and operations. Maintenance control was never notified; so I would recommend that anytime dispatch gets involved with an in-flight emergency; please pass on whatever they can to maintenance control; assuming the crew has not had a chance. 2) during the maintenance control cell call; I received a call from someone else. He volunteered his assistance to help me with anything I needed. There was a lot of backgnd noise on my end and I could not understand who was calling me. I asked him several times who he was and I could not decipher anything past his name. I eventually asked him if he worked for air carrier X. Still all I heard was a name and blurred statement of letters. I told him I need 6 crew meals now I thought he was operations or the caterers. I then said call me back in 5 mins as I had to deal with the de-fueling of the new aircraft since it was loaded for a 6 hour flight and we were going 37 mins. I figured out who this person was hours later. It was the flight manager. He was saying his name and title; which in the moment was misheard. I would recommend that he identify his position to a busy crew on a cell phone as the flight manager; using words; not letters; especially when the pilot asks who he is 3 times; asks if he works for air carrier X. All fellow crew members performed to the highest level of professionalism and worked through this situation in good spirits while maintaining excellent professional attitudes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPTAIN IS INFORMED OF ELECTRICAL FUMES IN CABIN AND ELECTS TO DIVERT AFTER COMPLYING WITH QRH PROCEDURES.

Narrative: AS PF; AT FL380; MID-POINT ALONG RTE; WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE PURSER THAT THERE WAS A WEAK BURNING SMELL WITHIN THE CABIN. NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTICED WITHIN THE COCKPIT. ALL SYSTEMS WERE NORMAL AND NO ECAMS WERE PRESENT. NO ACFT DEFERRED ITEMS WERE RELATED. WE DONNED OUR FLT DECK OXYGEN MASKS AND PROCEEDED TO GATHER MORE INFO. WE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFT CABIN CREW; SOME DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS AND ONE OFF-LINE JUMPSEATING PLT. ALL WERE INDEPENDENT AND UNBIASED CREW MEMBERS. ALL STATED THAT THE SMELL WAS SIMILAR TO BURNING ELECTRICAL OR OVERHEATED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. WE CONCURRENTLY INITIATED THE SMOKE/CABIN PROC; HOLDING AT 'INITIATE DSCNT.' WE WERE THEN NOTIFIED THAT THE BURNING SMELL IN THE CABIN HAD STOPPED. A FLT EMER WAS DECLARED; AND AFTER CONSIDERING OUR POS ENRTE; LACK OF KNOWN OR ACCESSIBLE IMMEDIATE AIRFIELDS AND PRESENT UPDATED SITUATION; WE BOTH AGREED TO DIVERT INTO ZZZ ABOUT 25 MINS AWAY. THE CABIN CREW WAS ADVISED WITH AN 'ALL CALL' INTERPHONE CONVERSATION AS TO TIME REMAINING; OUR IMMEDIATE PLANS; EXPECTATIONS BASED ON PRESENT OR WORSENING ACFT STATUS; AND A CABIN ADVISORY WAS DIRECTED TO BE PUT INTO PLAY. THE CABIN CREW WAS ASKED TO NOTIFY US WITH ANY SECONDARY EVENTS. A PA ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE AND ALL PAX WERE BROUGHT UP TO SPD; REASSURED AND ADVISED AS TO OUR ISSUES; STATUS; AND EXPECTATIONS UPON ARR. THE CABIN CREW WAS UPDATED WITH OUR ETA AND CONTINUING INPUT WAS REQUESTED TO ANY CHANGES IN THE CABIN FUMES. NO SMOKE WAS EVER OBSERVED. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED OF ALL ISSUES AND INTENTIONS. WE DISCUSSED AND REVIEWED ADDITIONAL AND EMER PROCS WITHIN THE FLT MANUAL AND DISCUSSED ANY PERTAINING ISSUES AS WELL AS TO 'WHAT IFS.' PRE-LNDG; WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD STOP THE ACFT UNTIL WE GET INPUT FROM THE EMER EQUIP AND TWR PERSONNEL AS TO THE VISUAL CHK FOR SMOKE OR FIRE. THE CABIN CREW WAS ADVISED ACCORDINGLY AND AN EVAC WOULD BE INITIATED WITH ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE CLAIMING VISUAL FIRE OR SMOKE. DURING THE DSCNT; WE WERE ADVISED THAT A PAX WAS NOW ON EMER OXYGEN AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL WERE REQUESTED WITHIN THE CABIN TO ASSIST. ADDITIONAL COM WAS SENT REQUESTING EMT TO MEET THE ACFT ALSO. THIS PAX WAS IN THE FRONT OF THE ACFT IN SEAT 2D. UPON LNDG IN ZZZ; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL APPEARED TO BE NORMAL OUTSIDE THE ACFT; AND THERE WERE NO EXISTING 'BURNING ELECTRICAL' FUMES WITHIN THE CABIN. ALL NOXIOUS FUMES STOPPED AT THE COMPLETION OF OUR QRH BACK AT ALT. WE CONTINUED TO THE GATE. EMT AND FIRE CREWS FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE. UPON THE OPENING OF THE FORWARD DOOR ENTRY; I DIRECTED THE EMT'S IN THE JETWAY TO WAIT FOR THE PAX TO DEPLANE BEFORE BLOCKING EXITING PAX IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP THE ILL PAX. I DID NOT WANT PAX TO REMAIN ON THIS ACFT ANY LONGER THAN NEEDED. THIS ILL PAX WAS TREATED; RECOVERED AND CONTINUED HER FLT WITH US TO ZZZ1 ON THE NEXT ACFT. I WAS ADVISED DURING COCKPIT POSTFLT CLEAN-UP; BY THE FIRE CREW CHIEF; THAT NO HOT SPOTS WERE FOUND IN THE CABIN AND THE BAGGAGE AREAS WERE NOW BEING SEARCHED. A FEW MINS LATER; AFTER QRH SWITCHES WERE REPOSITIONED TO THE NORMAL POS; THE FUMES IMMEDIATELY RETURNED ON THE PORT SIDE; ROW 3 BACK TO ROW 19. THE SMELL WAS A DEFINITE BITTER AND UNUSUAL SMELL OF HOT FABRIC OR METAL. WE AGAIN DE-POWERED THE SWITCHES AND THE SMELL STOPPED. AFTER DEBRIEFING VARIOUS FIRE CREW AND OPS PERSONNEL IN THE JETWAY; WE CONTINUED TO THE NEW ACFT TO SET UP AND COMPLETE OUR FLT TO ZZZ1. CONCLUSION: 3 POINTS OF INTEREST WERE BROUGHT UP BY CREW DEBRIEF. 1) DURING THE HEAT OF BATTLE; NUMEROUS ACARS MESSAGES WERE SENT TO DISPATCH BUT NONE TO MAINT CTL. THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT; BUT IT WAS A BUSY SITUATION. I RECEIVED A CELL CALL FROM MAINT CTL DURING THE CHAOS FOLLOWING THE DEPLANING. HIS FIRST COMMENT WAS 'WHY ARE YOU IN ZZZ?' I THEN DEBRIEFED MAINT CTL TO THE FULL EXTENT POSSIBLE; WHILE THE FO AND I WERE JUGGLING NUMEROUS OTHER ISSUES WITH VARIOUS PERSONNEL; FUELERS; TANKER DOWNLOADS; DISPATCH AND OPS. MAINT CTL WAS NEVER NOTIFIED; SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANYTIME DISPATCH GETS INVOLVED WITH AN INFLT EMER; PLEASE PASS ON WHATEVER THEY CAN TO MAINT CTL; ASSUMING THE CREW HAS NOT HAD A CHANCE. 2) DURING THE MAINT CTL CELL CALL; I RECEIVED A CALL FROM SOMEONE ELSE. HE VOLUNTEERED HIS ASSISTANCE TO HELP ME WITH ANYTHING I NEEDED. THERE WAS A LOT OF BACKGND NOISE ON MY END AND I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHO WAS CALLING ME. I ASKED HIM SEVERAL TIMES WHO HE WAS AND I COULD NOT DECIPHER ANYTHING PAST HIS NAME. I EVENTUALLY ASKED HIM IF HE WORKED FOR ACR X. STILL ALL I HEARD WAS A NAME AND BLURRED STATEMENT OF LETTERS. I TOLD HIM I NEED 6 CREW MEALS NOW I THOUGHT HE WAS OPS OR THE CATERERS. I THEN SAID CALL ME BACK IN 5 MINS AS I HAD TO DEAL WITH THE DE-FUELING OF THE NEW ACFT SINCE IT WAS LOADED FOR A 6 HR FLT AND WE WERE GOING 37 MINS. I FIGURED OUT WHO THIS PERSON WAS HRS LATER. IT WAS THE FLT MGR. HE WAS SAYING HIS NAME AND TITLE; WHICH IN THE MOMENT WAS MISHEARD. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT HE IDENT HIS POS TO A BUSY CREW ON A CELL PHONE AS THE FLT MGR; USING WORDS; NOT LETTERS; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PLT ASKS WHO HE IS 3 TIMES; ASKS IF HE WORKS FOR ACR X. ALL FELLOW CREW MEMBERS PERFORMED TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM AND WORKED THROUGH THIS SITUATION IN GOOD SPIRITS WHILE MAINTAINING EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDES.

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.