Flight crew advised by previous crew that aircraft had been sprayed with a disinfectant that was abr...

Attributes
ACN	154057
Time
Date	199008
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 185
ASRS Report	154057
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Crew was informed previous crew of inbound flight that the cockpit had been sprayed with insecticide prior to their flight. They complained of a bad odor, headaches and nausea. They informed the company of their experience and recommended that the puddles of insecticide in the cockpit should be mopped out. After supervising the aircraft cleaners mop the cockpit floor the outbnd crew determined that the slight remaining odor would not cause any problem. After the aircraft began to pressurize during the climb, the odor became worse causing burning eye sensations as well as slight headache, nausea and chest tightness. Crew went on 100 percent oxy and returned to departure airport (clt) and landed. The oxy seemed to relieve all nausea and headache symptoms. This situation could have become very dangerous had the captain elected to continue the flight. Chemicals should not be in the cockpit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. We thought we had the problem taken care of after having the floor mopped. Captain became concerned that we might become incapacitated so ordered oxy masks on and returned to clt. It seemed to us the excessive amounts of liquid had to be deposited deliberately but for what reason we could not fathom. Some spraying of our aircraft is done for bugs in this southern climate but never to the excess we saw in the cockpit. The company conducted an investigation but we have not been advised of anything positive.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW ADVISED BY PREVIOUS CREW THAT ACFT HAD BEEN SPRAYED WITH A DISINFECTANT THAT WAS ABRASIVE TO THE EYES AND NOSE. FLT CREW HAD FLOOR MOPPED AND ACCEPTED ACFT. AT FL180, FLC FORCED TO USE OXYGEN MASKS AND RETURN TO CLT.

Narrative: CREW WAS INFORMED PREVIOUS CREW OF INBND FLT THAT THE COCKPIT HAD BEEN SPRAYED WITH INSECTICIDE PRIOR TO THEIR FLT. THEY COMPLAINED OF A BAD ODOR, HEADACHES AND NAUSEA. THEY INFORMED THE COMPANY OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE PUDDLES OF INSECTICIDE IN THE COCKPIT SHOULD BE MOPPED OUT. AFTER SUPERVISING THE ACFT CLEANERS MOP THE COCKPIT FLOOR THE OUTBND CREW DETERMINED THAT THE SLIGHT REMAINING ODOR WOULD NOT CAUSE ANY PROB. AFTER THE ACFT BEGAN TO PRESSURIZE DURING THE CLB, THE ODOR BECAME WORSE CAUSING BURNING EYE SENSATIONS AS WELL AS SLIGHT HEADACHE, NAUSEA AND CHEST TIGHTNESS. CREW WENT ON 100 PERCENT OXY AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT (CLT) AND LANDED. THE OXY SEEMED TO RELIEVE ALL NAUSEA AND HEADACHE SYMPTOMS. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BECOME VERY DANGEROUS HAD THE CAPT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. CHEMICALS SHOULD NOT BE IN THE COCKPIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. WE THOUGHT WE HAD THE PROB TAKEN CARE OF AFTER HAVING THE FLOOR MOPPED. CAPT BECAME CONCERNED THAT WE MIGHT BECOME INCAPACITATED SO ORDERED OXY MASKS ON AND RETURNED TO CLT. IT SEEMED TO US THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF LIQUID HAD TO BE DEPOSITED DELIBERATELY BUT FOR WHAT REASON WE COULD NOT FATHOM. SOME SPRAYING OF OUR ACFT IS DONE FOR BUGS IN THIS SOUTHERN CLIMATE BUT NEVER TO THE EXCESS WE SAW IN THE COCKPIT. THE COMPANY CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ADVISED OF ANYTHING POSITIVE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.

Flight crew advised by previous crew that aircraft had been sprayed with a disinfectant that was abrasive to the eyes and nose. Flight crew had floor mopped and accepted aircraft. At FL180, flight crew forced to use oxygen masks and return to clt.