Narrative:

Approximately 1 hour into the flight I noticed what appeared to be a burning electrical odor. When I queried the first officer and purser they both commented they had not smelled it so we continued. Approximately 30 minutes later the odor returned this time being experienced by both the first officer and purser. When the odor returned it was much more pronounced than previous. We donned O2 and shortly thereafter we received a left recirculation fan inoperative light accompanied by associated caution. At this time we were unsure of the situation and the potential for an in flight electrical fire. We were coordinating with dispatch and maintenance when we determined our best course of action was to declare an emergency and divert. We had notified the purser of our intentions and directed a cabin advisory with an estimated time remaining of 20 minutes. An overweight landing was made smoothly without further event. We cleared the runway and had the emergency vehicles/crew examine the aircraft immediately for any potential fire. They informed us they did not observe any unusual conditions. We requested they follow us to parking and monitor. We parked at the gate and deplaned all passengers while the emergency team checked the situation of the aircraft once again. Paramedics were available on the jet bridge should anyone have needed assistance. The flight crew observed no injury or symptoms experienced by anyone.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 Captain reports electrical fumes at FL360 followed shortly by a Left Recirc Fan Inop light. Crew elects to divert to the nearest suitable airport.

Narrative: Approximately 1 hour into the flight I noticed what appeared to be a burning electrical odor. When I queried the First Officer and Purser they both commented they had not smelled it so we continued. Approximately 30 minutes later the odor returned this time being experienced by both the First Officer and Purser. When the odor returned it was much more pronounced than previous. We donned O2 and shortly thereafter we received a left recirculation fan inoperative light accompanied by associated caution. At this time we were unsure of the situation and the potential for an in flight electrical fire. We were coordinating with Dispatch and Maintenance when we determined our best course of action was to declare an emergency and divert. We had notified the Purser of our intentions and directed a cabin advisory with an estimated time remaining of 20 minutes. An overweight landing was made smoothly without further event. We cleared the runway and had the emergency vehicles/crew examine the aircraft immediately for any potential fire. They informed us they did not observe any unusual conditions. We requested they follow us to parking and monitor. We parked at the gate and deplaned all passengers while the emergency team checked the situation of the aircraft once again. Paramedics were available on the jet bridge should anyone have needed assistance. The flight crew observed no injury or symptoms experienced by anyone.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.