Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Confusion; Troubleshooting; Training / Qualification
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
On ground the flight attendants reported egg/sulfur smell around Row 18 was burning their eyes. Maintenance performed test on APU bleed which showed normal. Maintenance decided to MEL rear chillers as a possible source of the smell. [We] departed approximately one hour late. Approximately one hour fifteen minutes into the flight the flight attendants reported the smell had returned around Row 18; and a 'leather' smell. Ten minutes later; the flight attendants reported an acrid smell of 'electrical'. Decision was made to divert to an airport 100 mile to our right. En route had flight attendants turn off reading lights around Row 18 and overheard lights. Odor seemed to start to dissipate. [After a] normal approach and landing aircraft left awaiting Company Maintenance. The crew deadheaded. Maintenance was not able to locate proper source of odor before departure.
The Reporter stated that he contacted his Chief Pilot for the cause of this event and was told that the odor was the result of an overheated electrical light ballast in the cabin sidewall overheating. In retrospect he felt his decision to turn cabin lights off was a worthwhile action.
An A319 flight attendant crew reported an egg/sulfur smell near Row 18 prior to flight but Maintenance found no cause. During flight; the odor returned so the Captain diverted to an enroute airport and was later told the cause was an overheated cabin sidewall electrical light ballast.