Narrative:

During flight preparation; just prior to closing up the aircraft for block out; a cabin smoke alert illuminated in the cockpit. Less than thirty seconds later; a pungent odor filled the cockpit. The captain went to the cabin area to investigate and found the smell to be more intense with a light fog present in the air. The captain queried the ramp agent present in the courier area and was informed that insecticide had just been sprayed on the upper cargo deck. This explained the cabin smoke alert. Because the cockpit odor was intense; the captain turned the packs off and instructed the other two crew members to deplane. After fifteen minutes the smell was still present in the courier area but had dissipated in the cockpit. The crew resumed normal duties.the APU was running and all three packs were on when the ramp crew sprayed the insecticide in the cargo areas. The crew presumed the strong odor in the cockpit and jumpseat area occurred when the aircraft ventilation system circulated the insecticide sprayed in the upper cargo deck. The crew was not notified when the upper cargo deck was sprayed; which is normal; given there are no procedures for crew notification.the ramp agent onboard our aircraft informed the captain this incident was not uncommon and another crew had recently evacuated the aircraft because a fog and pungent smell filled the cockpit and cabin after spraying the insecticide.within thirty minutes of the crew's exposure to the insecticide spray; the captain experienced a tightening of the throat and sneezing. The relief flight officer experienced irritated nostrils. The first officer did not experience symptoms.the insecticide spray used in company aircraft cargo compartments for all ZZZ - ZZZZ flights is callington 1-Shot (callington is the manufacturer). Disinsection is also required for [a few other destinations in our route system]; according to the fom.the 1-Shot material safety data sheet (msds) warns of potential health hazards associated with the product. Two chemicals in 1-Shot; d-phenothrin and permethrin; are toxic and potentially hazardous to human health; according to osha and the the world health organization (who). Permethrin is the most toxic of the two chemicals. Both d-phenothrin and permethrin are listed as probably carcinogens by the international agency for the research of cancer.attached documents disallow spraying of permethrin insecticides when human contact is at risk; except when specified protective measures are used. Permethrin products should never be inhaled; according to medical and technical documents. The 1-Shot msds warns to avoid personal contact with the product and advises that protective clothing and equipment should be used by personnel dispensing the product when risk of inhalation or dermal exposure exists. The 1-Shot msds contains a number of other warnings.[a document from the who]; recommendations on the disinsecting of aircraft; states; 'the flight deck should be treated at a suitable time prior to the expected occupancy of the flight crew; the door of this compartment then being closed and kept closed; except when being opened momentarily to permit the passage of the crew members; until the 'blocks-away' (pre-flight) treatment and the take-off of the aircraft are completed.' this blocks-away procedure is not accomplished on the ZZZ ramp. Only the pre-flight treatment is accomplished--with the crew onboard.according to the who document; the aircraft ventilation system must be closed during pre-flight spraying; and for a period of not less than 5 minutes following dispensing of sprays containing permethrin.' section 5.1 of the document; schedule of aircraft disinsection procedures; states the same minimum 5-minute warning. According to the manufacturer of 1-Shot; the ventilation system should be off for 10 minutes following spraying of this product. This time warning exists because 1-Shot is heavier than air and is designed to settle onto surfaces in undisturbed air. Settling onto surfaces mitigates the risk of inhalation when the aircraft ventilation system is turned on after spraying. If the product is drawn into a packs-on air system; the spray circulates to all areas; including the cockpit.the who has described disinsection as a procedure that would not cause risk to human health 'if carried out with the recommended precautions'; according to [an] airline cabin environmental research (acer) document. This document states that adverse health effects have been reported by flight crews and that urine tests conducted on flight crews where disinsection was performed showed significantly higher levels of associated toxic chemicals after disinsection flights. Additionally; the document states; 'the risks to crew members and the flying public associated with exposure to pyrethroids (permethrin) at the levels (stated within the document) need to be reviewed.' (acer is funded through a FAA cooperative agreement entitled 'national air transportation center of excellence for research in the intermodal transport environment).over the past year; I have communicated my concerns on this subject to appropriate company managers. Ramp personnel I have spoken with; say they have never been given training; advised of warnings or received procedural information for spraying insecticides onboard aircraft; except where to discharge the cans. This was confirmed again; the day of this incident. Additionally; pilots have never been given safety information regarding aircraft disinsection procedures.the fact that ramp and flight crews have never received safety information is concerning. It is especially concerning for ramp crews because the same people are exposed to this safety threat every day over a period of years. Publishing readily available safety procedures and warnings would mitigate risks associated with aircraft disinsection; thus protect the health and safety of company personnel--an action that seems necessary given commitments within our company safety management system.in the interest of health and safety for flight and ground crews; I recommend that company flight safety and/or ground safety prepare and deliver information on the use of insecticides onboard our aircraft.note: I am aware of callington 1-Shot dispensing recommendations and health and safety warnings regarding aircraft disinsection. Information I have obtained comes from government sources; technical and medical sources [and] the manufacturer.insecticide sprayed in the upper cargo deck by the ramp crew immediately entered the aircraft air system because all three packs were on when the chemical was sprayed. This caused the spray to immediately be drawn into the aircraft ventilation air which brought the spray directly into the cockpit.company flight safety and/or ground safety should prepare and deliver information on the use of insecticides onboard our aircraft. This information should instruct the ramp crew to notify the flight crew before insecticides are sprayed on the upper cargo deck. When notified; the flight crew should turn off all packs to stop air flow into the cockpit. The ramp crew should notify the flight crew when upper deck spraying is complete. The flight crew should wait a minimum of 10 minutes; per the manufacturer's warning; before turning packs on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Heavy Transport carrier Captain reported a Cabin Smoke alert and pungent odor in the cockpit due to insecticide sprayed in the upper cargo deck.

Narrative: During flight preparation; just prior to closing up the aircraft for block out; a Cabin Smoke alert illuminated in the cockpit. Less than thirty seconds later; a pungent odor filled the cockpit. The captain went to the cabin area to investigate and found the smell to be more intense with a light fog present in the air. The captain queried the ramp agent present in the courier area and was informed that insecticide had just been sprayed on the upper cargo deck. This explained the cabin smoke alert. Because the cockpit odor was intense; the captain turned the packs off and instructed the other two crew members to deplane. After fifteen minutes the smell was still present in the courier area but had dissipated in the cockpit. The crew resumed normal duties.The APU was running and all three packs were on when the ramp crew sprayed the insecticide in the cargo areas. The crew presumed the strong odor in the cockpit and jumpseat area occurred when the aircraft ventilation system circulated the insecticide sprayed in the upper cargo deck. The crew was not notified when the upper cargo deck was sprayed; which is normal; given there are no procedures for crew notification.The ramp agent onboard our aircraft informed the captain this incident was not uncommon and another crew had recently evacuated the aircraft because a fog and pungent smell filled the cockpit and cabin after spraying the insecticide.Within thirty minutes of the crew's exposure to the insecticide spray; the Captain experienced a tightening of the throat and sneezing. The relief flight officer experienced irritated nostrils. The first officer did not experience symptoms.The insecticide spray used in Company aircraft cargo compartments for all ZZZ - ZZZZ flights is Callington 1-Shot (Callington is the manufacturer). Disinsection is also required for [a few other destinations in our route system]; according to the FOM.The 1-Shot material safety data sheet (MSDS) warns of potential health hazards associated with the product. Two chemicals in 1-Shot; d-phenothrin and permethrin; are toxic and potentially hazardous to human health; according to OSHA and the The World Health Organization (WHO). Permethrin is the most toxic of the two chemicals. Both d-phenothrin and permethrin are listed as probably carcinogens by the International Agency for the Research of Cancer.Attached documents disallow spraying of permethrin insecticides when human contact is at risk; except when specified protective measures are used. Permethrin products should never be inhaled; according to medical and technical documents. The 1-Shot MSDS warns to avoid personal contact with the product and advises that protective clothing and equipment should be used by personnel dispensing the product when risk of inhalation or dermal exposure exists. The 1-Shot MSDS contains a number of other warnings.[A document from the WHO]; Recommendations on the Disinsecting of Aircraft; states; 'The flight deck should be treated at a suitable time prior to the expected occupancy of the flight crew; the door of this compartment then being closed and kept closed; except when being opened momentarily to permit the passage of the crew members; until the 'blocks-away' (pre-flight) treatment and the take-off of the aircraft are completed.' This blocks-away procedure is not accomplished on the ZZZ ramp. Only the pre-flight treatment is accomplished--with the crew onboard.According to the WHO document; the aircraft ventilation system must be closed during pre-flight spraying; and for a period of not less than 5 minutes following dispensing of sprays containing permethrin.' Section 5.1 of the document; Schedule of Aircraft Disinsection Procedures; states the same minimum 5-minute warning. According to the manufacturer of 1-Shot; the ventilation system should be off for 10 minutes following spraying of this product. This time warning exists because 1-Shot is heavier than air and is designed to settle onto surfaces in undisturbed air. Settling onto surfaces mitigates the risk of inhalation when the aircraft ventilation system is turned on after spraying. If the product is drawn into a packs-on air system; the spray circulates to all areas; including the cockpit.The WHO has described disinsection as a procedure that would not cause risk to human health 'if carried out with the recommended precautions'; according to [an] Airline Cabin Environmental Research (ACER) document. This document states that adverse health effects have been reported by flight crews and that urine tests conducted on flight crews where disinsection was performed showed significantly higher levels of associated toxic chemicals after disinsection flights. Additionally; the document states; 'The risks to crew members and the flying public associated with exposure to pyrethroids (permethrin) at the levels (stated within the document) need to be reviewed.' (ACER is funded through a FAA Cooperative Agreement entitled 'National Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Research in the Intermodal Transport Environment).Over the past year; I have communicated my concerns on this subject to appropriate Company managers. Ramp personnel I have spoken with; say they have never been given training; advised of warnings or received procedural information for spraying insecticides onboard aircraft; except where to discharge the cans. This was confirmed again; the day of this incident. Additionally; pilots have never been given safety information regarding aircraft disinsection procedures.The fact that ramp and flight crews have never received safety information is concerning. It is especially concerning for ramp crews because the same people are exposed to this safety threat every day over a period of years. Publishing readily available safety procedures and warnings would mitigate risks associated with aircraft disinsection; thus protect the health and safety of Company personnel--an action that seems necessary given commitments within our Company Safety Management System.In the interest of health and safety for flight and ground crews; I recommend that Company Flight Safety and/or Ground Safety prepare and deliver information on the use of insecticides onboard our aircraft.Note: I am aware of Callington 1-Shot dispensing recommendations and health and safety warnings regarding aircraft disinsection. Information I have obtained comes from government sources; technical and medical sources [and] the manufacturer.Insecticide sprayed in the upper cargo deck by the ramp crew immediately entered the aircraft air system because all three packs were on when the chemical was sprayed. This caused the spray to immediately be drawn into the aircraft ventilation air which brought the spray directly into the cockpit.Company Flight Safety and/or Ground Safety should prepare and deliver information on the use of insecticides onboard our aircraft. This information should instruct the ramp crew to notify the flight crew before insecticides are sprayed on the upper cargo deck. When notified; the flight crew should turn off all packs to stop air flow into the cockpit. The ramp crew should notify the flight crew when upper deck spraying is complete. The flight crew should wait a minimum of 10 minutes; per the manufacturer's warning; before turning packs on.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.