AN ACR B727 CHOSE TO DIVERT LAND DUE TO SMOKE IN THE CABIN. NIGHT OP. EMER NOT DECLARED; BUT EMER CRASH ALERT ACTIVATED. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

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FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME OF STRONG BURNING RUBBER SMELL IN MIDCABIN. I HAD SO GO TO REAR AND VERIFY THE SEVERITY RPTED. HE DID CONFIRM STRONG SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER AROUND MIDCABIN. I SUSPECTED POSSIBLE WHEELWELL FIRE/TIRE FAILURE DUE TO A BRAKE OVERHEAT (B727 ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS). I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO CLT AND HAVE PROB CHKED BY MAINT. ALSO FIELD FACILITIES WERE EXCELLENT IF WE DID HAVE A PROB. I WAS HESITANT TO DECLARE AN EMER ON THE RADIO DUE TO PROBABLE ADVERSE MEDIA COVERAGE; BUT WAS ABLE TO REQUEST CFR COVERAGE AND RECEIVED EXCELLENT ASSISTANCE FROM CTR AND APCH. FUEL ON BOARD WAS 23800 LBS AND WE WOULD LAND OVERWT AT 157900 LBS. LNDG WAS SMOOTH AT 300 FPM OR LESS. CFR WAS REQUESTED TO THE GATE. MAINT MET US AND INVESTIGATED THE PROB AND COMPLETED AN OVERWT LNDG CHK. WE WERE NOW UP AGAINST CREW DUTY DAY LIMITS. BASED ON A 14 HR DUTY DAY; I COULD SEE WE WERE UP AGAINST THE LIMIT AND PRESSED TO GET OUT IN TIME TO GET PAX TO DEST. THE CLT ARPT WAS ALL BUT CLOSED DOWN; NO FOOD AVAILABLE; AND WE WERE LESS THAN 1 HR TO DEST.