Narrative:

I was departing ckf on a flight to rdu and had filed for a cruise altitude of 35000 ft. On departure I encountered a very strong smell of fumes in the cockpit. The fumes caused eye, nose, and throat irritation. I was cleared by jacksonville center to 23000 and transferred to atlanta center. Atlanta center cleared me to 24000 ft. I was flying on autoplt and trying to identify the source of the fumes. I reset the altitude capture for 24000 ft and trimmed the aircraft for 1500 FPM climb. At this time I observed a commercial aircraft in a flight path above me crossing from right to left. I observed that the autoplt failed to capture at 24000 ft and I began an effort to level the aircraft. My performance in handling the autoplt functions or stabilizing the aircraft altitude appears to have been severely impaired by intoxication from the fumes. I finally pulled the autoplt circuit breaker and manually trimmed the aircraft to a proper altitude. During this flight correction, the commercial transport was above and passing off my left side. I later found that about 1/4 to 1/2 pint of fluid had leaked from my wet compass. The fluid remaining is being analyzed, but I believe that it is gyro cleaning fluid. My physical response was that of being in a daze and not being able to clearly think or analyze. Every motion appeared to be happening much faster than normal and I felt somewhat detached from reality.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT PLT EXPERIENCED FUMES IN THE COCKPIT, PROBABLY FROM A LEAKING COMPASS.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING CKF ON A FLT TO RDU AND HAD FILED FOR A CRUISE ALT OF 35000 FT. ON DEP I ENCOUNTERED A VERY STRONG SMELL OF FUMES IN THE COCKPIT. THE FUMES CAUSED EYE, NOSE, AND THROAT IRRITATION. I WAS CLRED BY JACKSONVILLE CTR TO 23000 AND TRANSFERRED TO ATLANTA CTR. ATLANTA CTR CLRED ME TO 24000 FT. I WAS FLYING ON AUTOPLT AND TRYING TO IDENT THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES. I RESET THE ALT CAPTURE FOR 24000 FT AND TRIMMED THE ACFT FOR 1500 FPM CLB. AT THIS TIME I OBSERVED A COMMERCIAL ACFT IN A FLT PATH ABOVE ME XING FROM R TO L. I OBSERVED THAT THE AUTOPLT FAILED TO CAPTURE AT 24000 FT AND I BEGAN AN EFFORT TO LEVEL THE ACFT. MY PERFORMANCE IN HANDLING THE AUTOPLT FUNCTIONS OR STABILIZING THE ACFT ALT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN SEVERELY IMPAIRED BY INTOXICATION FROM THE FUMES. I FINALLY PULLED THE AUTOPLT CIRCUIT BREAKER AND MANUALLY TRIMMED THE ACFT TO A PROPER ALT. DURING THIS FLT CORRECTION, THE COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT WAS ABOVE AND PASSING OFF MY L SIDE. I LATER FOUND THAT ABOUT 1/4 TO 1/2 PINT OF FLUID HAD LEAKED FROM MY WET COMPASS. THE FLUID REMAINING IS BEING ANALYZED, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT IS GYRO CLEANING FLUID. MY PHYSICAL RESPONSE WAS THAT OF BEING IN A DAZE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO CLRLY THINK OR ANALYZE. EVERY MOTION APPEARED TO BE HAPPENING MUCH FASTER THAN NORMAL AND I FELT SOMEWHAT DETACHED FROM REALITY.

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.