Narrative:

F/a's reported suffering ill effects of dizziness and headaches while in area of cabin around rows 22 and 23. Aircraft was descended to FL280 and my first officer was sent to rear of aircraft to judge further the situation. My first officer returned to flight deck suffering multiple effects and I deemed him incapacitated. Placed him on 100% O2 as well as myself precautionarily. Due to incapacitations, I chose to land at nearest suitable airport, chs. I stated to center my intention to land at other than my destination airport and requested clearance and vectors to chs. No emergency was declared! I requested through my company's communications the EMS personnel be standing by to assist any passenger and crew members for dizziness, headaches, sweats, etc. I also requested company baggage personnel use extreme caution and remove and quarantine all checked baggage, freight, mail, etc for inspection. The flight progressed to chs normally except for myself operating on a solo basis with the exception of the first officer reading the requested checklists. This action was as much a continuing check of his condition as well as to assure appropriate flight duties were followed. During this descend into chs, the aircraft system was troubleshot as a probable source and deemed to be operating normally and not to be the source. Results: 5 passenger, 2 F/a's, 1 first officer taken to baker hospital in chs for observation and released within 6 hours. After passenger removed from aircraft the chs customer service manager inspected said affected area, rows 22 and 23, and confirmed a source stating that he too had suffered 'instant dizziness and headache' when he was in that area. Baggage handling personnel reported a 'sweet smell' when the aft cargo bin was opened. Emergency fire personnel quarantined aircraft and ran tests resulting in discovery of 'unknown airborne substance' in concentrations of 400 ppm. Conjecture: although only the fwd flight attendant/south passenger address system was the only elec component that had failed on the aircraft on this flight, I feel that there was a possibility of an electrical short arching and creating an ozone cloud which was trapped (due to air flows) between the overhead storage bins where only persons that walked through were affected. Thus no passenger seated in area suffered. Supplemental information from acn 182351: all was normal as I stood at seat row 15 while the meal cart was moved aft. As soon as I hit row 18 my legs began to shake, I started to sweat and my knees began to buckle. As I rushed back to the flight deck I told the F/a's to stop serving. I donned 100% O2 and told the captain we needed to 'get down.' I smelled absolutely nothing and the symptoms started with no warning and no build up. When the ff/a came forward I took off my mask to speak to her. Within seconds my legs began to tremble, my hands/arms became very heavy and difficult to move, I was barely able to speak and my eyes began to tear. I was able to get the mask back on, went to emergency on the regulator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS FA'S AND FO AFFECTED BY FUMES. DIVERT TO NEAREST ARPT.

Narrative: F/A'S RPTED SUFFERING ILL EFFECTS OF DIZZINESS AND HEADACHES WHILE IN AREA OF CABIN AROUND ROWS 22 AND 23. ACFT WAS DSNDED TO FL280 AND MY F/O WAS SENT TO REAR OF ACFT TO JUDGE FURTHER THE SITUATION. MY F/O RETURNED TO FLT DECK SUFFERING MULTIPLE EFFECTS AND I DEEMED HIM INCAPACITATED. PLACED HIM ON 100% O2 AS WELL AS MYSELF PRECAUTIONARILY. DUE TO INCAPACITATIONS, I CHOSE TO LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, CHS. I STATED TO CENTER MY INTENTION TO LAND AT OTHER THAN MY DEST ARPT AND REQUESTED CLRNC AND VECTORS TO CHS. NO EMER WAS DECLARED! I REQUESTED THROUGH MY COMPANY'S COMS THE EMS PERSONNEL BE STANDING BY TO ASSIST ANY PAX AND CREW MEMBERS FOR DIZZINESS, HEADACHES, SWEATS, ETC. I ALSO REQUESTED COMPANY BAGGAGE PERSONNEL USE EXTREME CAUTION AND REMOVE AND QUARANTINE ALL CHKED BAGGAGE, FREIGHT, MAIL, ETC FOR INSPECTION. THE FLT PROGRESSED TO CHS NORMALLY EXCEPT FOR MYSELF OPERATING ON A SOLO BASIS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE F/O READING THE REQUESTED CHKLISTS. THIS ACTION WAS AS MUCH A CONTINUING CHK OF HIS CONDITION AS WELL AS TO ASSURE APPROPRIATE FLT DUTIES WERE FOLLOWED. DURING THIS DSND INTO CHS, THE ACFT SYS WAS TROUBLESHOT AS A PROBABLE SOURCE AND DEEMED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY AND NOT TO BE THE SOURCE. RESULTS: 5 PAX, 2 F/A'S, 1 F/O TAKEN TO BAKER HOSPITAL IN CHS FOR OBSERVATION AND RELEASED WITHIN 6 HRS. AFTER PAX REMOVED FROM ACFT THE CHS CUSTOMER SVC MGR INSPECTED SAID AFFECTED AREA, ROWS 22 AND 23, AND CONFIRMED A SOURCE STATING THAT HE TOO HAD SUFFERED 'INSTANT DIZZINESS AND HEADACHE' WHEN HE WAS IN THAT AREA. BAGGAGE HANDLING PERSONNEL RPTED A 'SWEET SMELL' WHEN THE AFT CARGO BIN WAS OPENED. EMER FIRE PERSONNEL QUARANTINED ACFT AND RAN TESTS RESULTING IN DISCOVERY OF 'UNKNOWN AIRBORNE SUBSTANCE' IN CONCENTRATIONS OF 400 PPM. CONJECTURE: ALTHOUGH ONLY THE FWD FA/S PAX ADDRESS SYS WAS THE ONLY ELEC COMPONENT THAT HAD FAILED ON THE ACFT ON THIS FLT, I FEEL THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT ARCHING AND CREATING AN OZONE CLOUD WHICH WAS TRAPPED (DUE TO AIR FLOWS) BTWN THE OVERHEAD STORAGE BINS WHERE ONLY PERSONS THAT WALKED THROUGH WERE AFFECTED. THUS NO PAX SEATED IN AREA SUFFERED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 182351: ALL WAS NORMAL AS I STOOD AT SEAT ROW 15 WHILE THE MEAL CART WAS MOVED AFT. AS SOON AS I HIT ROW 18 MY LEGS BEGAN TO SHAKE, I STARTED TO SWEAT AND MY KNEES BEGAN TO BUCKLE. AS I RUSHED BACK TO THE FLT DECK I TOLD THE F/A'S TO STOP SERVING. I DONNED 100% O2 AND TOLD THE CAPT WE NEEDED TO 'GET DOWN.' I SMELLED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND THE SYMPTOMS STARTED WITH NO WARNING AND NO BUILD UP. WHEN THE FF/A CAME FORWARD I TOOK OFF MY MASK TO SPEAK TO HER. WITHIN SECS MY LEGS BEGAN TO TREMBLE, MY HANDS/ARMS BECAME VERY HEAVY AND DIFFICULT TO MOVE, I WAS BARELY ABLE TO SPEAK AND MY EYES BEGAN TO TEAR. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE MASK BACK ON, WENT TO EMER ON THE REGULATOR.

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.