Date: 201201
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: Marginal
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: A321
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class A ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Troubleshooting; Physiological - Other; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Maintenance Action; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: During descent for landing; the 'A' Flight Attendant called the cockpit to advise us of an unusual smell in the forward cabin. Not noticing any smell in the cockpit; I asked the First Officer to step back into the galley area and see if he could detect anything unusual. He reported a smell like syrup in the air. Someone noticed that a First Class passenger had opened a container of food and the situation was dismissed. The smell seemed to fade away. A few minutes later the 'A' Flight Attendant contacted the cockpit to report that an unusual (and different) smell was detected in the forward cabin area and that her eyes were burning and her throat was dried out. Once again because of the proximity to the flight deck I asked the First Officer if he would investigate. He reported that there was an unusual smell and that his eyes were burning a little. Since the cockpit door had been opened briefly I could now smell the odor. It was not the odor described in other incidents as the 'dirty socks' smell. It was not like any other odor that I had smelled before. I could determine with absolute confidence that it was not an oily odor; and that it was not electrical or environmental smoke and nothing was visible in the air. By now we were being handed off to Approach Control and were allowed to keep our speed up. I determined that the safest thing for us to do was to initiate the smoke and fumes QRH procedure. We did so and ultimately landed with our oxygen masks on. I elected not to declare an emergency with ATC since our arrival was unimpeded and we needed no special assistance. After landing I selected the packs off and the smell was not detected again. After a few minutes I selected the packs back on using the APU as the bleed source; and again no odor was detected. After blocking in at the gate I talked to a Customer Service Representative who met the flight; talked to the Chief Pilot; talked to the Maintenance personnel there to investigate; wrote up the discrepancy in the logbook; filled out a Cabin Air Quality report; called the Dispatcher; talked to a Flight Attendant Supervisor; and then proceeded to the on airport medical facility to have myself; the First Officer and the 'A' Flight Attendant examined by paramedics on duty there. The First Officer and I determined that our physical condition was suitable to continue the flight; but the 'A' Flight Attendant was suffering some ill effects and was replaced.

Callback: The Captain reported that he had a slight eye irritation and dry throat; but the 'A' Flight Attendant's symptoms; which were similar to his; were severe enough that she was removed from the flight. Her symptoms last only about 24 hours. The odor was very localized in the forward cabin.



Synopsis: An A321 Flight Attendant reported an odd non-electrical or environmental odor in the forward cabin during descent. The 'A' Flight Attendant was removed after a medical examination; while the pilots were able to continue flying.