AN ARRIVING A320 IS HANDLED AS PRIORITY TFC BY MIA APCH CTL WHEN THE CREW DETECTS A STRONG SMELL OF FUMES IN THE COCKPIT DURING DSCNT FROM FL350.

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I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT FROM MSP TO MIA ON APR/XA/99. WE WERE IN AN A320. THE ACFT HAD NO OPEN MEL WRITE-UPS; THE LAST CLRED WRITE-UP A DAY EARLIER CONCERNED THE 'WATER SEPARATOR.' APPROX 20 MINS BEFORE LNDG IN MIA WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO DSND FROM FL350 TO FL240. AS SOON AS THE PWR WAS REDUCED AND THE ACFT STARTED DOWN; A VERY STRONG 'VINEGAR' LIKE ACIDIC SMELL WAS NOTICED IN THE COCKPIT BY THE FO AND MYSELF. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED IF SOMETHING HAD SPILLED IN THE GALLEY. SHE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROB THAT SHE COULD SEE; AND THAT SHE DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING. A FEW MINS LATER A SECOND FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT (WE WERE AT 11000 FT APCHING HEATT INTXN; APPROX 30 MI FROM MIA). HE SAID THAT THERE WAS AN 'ELECTRICAL/BURN' SMELL ALL THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY SMOKE. I INSTRUCTED HIM TO MONITOR THE SIT ALONG WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT; AND NOTIFY ME IF ANYTHING CHANGED. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY PROCEED TO MIA AND LAND ASAP. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO NOTIFY APCH CTL OF THE 'SMELL/ODOR' PROBS WE WERE EXPERIENCING AND REQUEST AN IMMEDIATE LNDG AT MIA. APCH CTL GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 27R AHEAD OF ALL OTHER TFC. WE INTERCEPTED THE RWY CTRLINE APPROX 4 MI OUT AND LANDED 1 MIN OR SO LATER WITH NO PROBS. DURING ENG REVERSING AND DECELERATION; THE STRONG 'VINEGAR' SMELL REAPPEARED IN THE COCKPIT. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT TELL ME OF ANY WORSENING SMELLS IN THE CABIN; SO WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. I HAD THE FO NOTIFY MIA OPS OF OUR PROBS/CONCERNS; AND TO WARN THEM TO BE CAREFUL OPENING THE CARGO BINS IN CASE ANYTHING HAD SPILLED. I ALSO REQUESTED A MECH MEET THE ACFT SO I COULD DISCUSS THE PROB WITH HIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT MAINT COULD NOT FIND ANY SOURCES FOR THE ODOR. ALL OVERHEAD BINS WERE CHKED FOR FLUID SPILLS AND NONE WERE FOUND. NOTHING EVER CAME OUT FROM MAINT.