Narrative:

During climb out, toxic fumes were noticed by all 3 crew members. No smoke was ever noticed, but we all idented the odor as the same as burning rubber. All crew members reported dizziness and tingling sensations. I ordered everyone on 100 percent oxygen and immediately declared an emergency with ZTL and requested immediate clearance back to atl airport. ZTL cleared us direct atl, any altitude for any runway. I had difficulty flying the aircraft and communicating with my crew for 2-5 mins after going on 100 percent oxygen. I am certain this was due to fume ingestion. I proceeded direct atl and started descent from FL180 and 46 DME. I exceeded 250 KIAS below 10000 ft because I deemed our situation life threatening and wanted to land on runway 8L at atl as soon as possible. Approximately 15-20 mi northwest of atl at 6000 ft I was cleared to switch to atl approach. The approach controller said to turn right to 020 degrees and climb to 12000 ft (I think it was 12000 ft). I told him that I had already declared an emergency and been cleared direct atl at any altitude, and had chosen runway 8L as previously authorized. The controller was combative and wanted me to climb, do a right 230 degree turn and get on downwind for runway 26R, probably due to west operations at atl. I refused his clearance due to the emergency conditions. Uneventful landing was made to runway 8L with crash rescue standing by. All crew were checked by paramedics and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Source of fumes is under investigation at this time, but not related to dangerous goods. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: on previous leg from mia, crew smelled rubber and thought a tire had blown on takeoff. A tire was changed at atl. During the flight from atl, the emergency was described to ARTCC and, after handoff to TRACON, it was described to the approach controller also along with the request to land as soon as possible. The physician examining the reporter after the fact said that they came very close, that they probably had only seconds of consciousness left before they went on 100 percent oxygen. Investigation showed that an overfilled skydrol tank may have caused benzene bearing fumes to enter the cockpit. Also, a fault was found with the #1 engine precooler also permitting fumes to enter the cockpit. Flight crew will be required to submit pulmonary function and blood tests results with their applications for medical certificate renewals for an indefinite period. Reporter contacts with ATC indicate that ATC thinks they did nothing wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED AND RETURN LAND ATL WHEN CREW NOTES PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBS FROM BREATHING FUMES IN ACFT.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT, TOXIC FUMES WERE NOTICED BY ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS. NO SMOKE WAS EVER NOTICED, BUT WE ALL IDENTED THE ODOR AS THE SAME AS BURNING RUBBER. ALL CREW MEMBERS RPTED DIZZINESS AND TINGLING SENSATIONS. I ORDERED EVERYONE ON 100 PERCENT OXYGEN AND IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZTL AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE CLRNC BACK TO ATL ARPT. ZTL CLRED US DIRECT ATL, ANY ALT FOR ANY RWY. I HAD DIFFICULTY FLYING THE ACFT AND COMMUNICATING WITH MY CREW FOR 2-5 MINS AFTER GOING ON 100 PERCENT OXYGEN. I AM CERTAIN THIS WAS DUE TO FUME INGESTION. I PROCEEDED DIRECT ATL AND STARTED DSCNT FROM FL180 AND 46 DME. I EXCEEDED 250 KIAS BELOW 10000 FT BECAUSE I DEEMED OUR SIT LIFE THREATENING AND WANTED TO LAND ON RWY 8L AT ATL ASAP. APPROX 15-20 MI NW OF ATL AT 6000 FT I WAS CLRED TO SWITCH TO ATL APCH. THE APCH CTLR SAID TO TURN R TO 020 DEGS AND CLB TO 12000 FT (I THINK IT WAS 12000 FT). I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD ALREADY DECLARED AN EMER AND BEEN CLRED DIRECT ATL AT ANY ALT, AND HAD CHOSEN RWY 8L AS PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED. THE CTLR WAS COMBATIVE AND WANTED ME TO CLB, DO A R 230 DEG TURN AND GET ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26R, PROBABLY DUE TO W OPS AT ATL. I REFUSED HIS CLRNC DUE TO THE EMER CONDITIONS. UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE TO RWY 8L WITH CRASH RESCUE STANDING BY. ALL CREW WERE CHKED BY PARAMEDICS AND TRANSPORTED TO A LCL HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. SOURCE OF FUMES IS UNDER INVESTIGATION AT THIS TIME, BUT NOT RELATED TO DANGEROUS GOODS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ON PREVIOUS LEG FROM MIA, CREW SMELLED RUBBER AND THOUGHT A TIRE HAD BLOWN ON TKOF. A TIRE WAS CHANGED AT ATL. DURING THE FLT FROM ATL, THE EMER WAS DESCRIBED TO ARTCC AND, AFTER HDOF TO TRACON, IT WAS DESCRIBED TO THE APCH CTLR ALSO ALONG WITH THE REQUEST TO LAND ASAP. THE PHYSICIAN EXAMINING THE RPTR AFTER THE FACT SAID THAT THEY CAME VERY CLOSE, THAT THEY PROBABLY HAD ONLY SECONDS OF CONSCIOUSNESS LEFT BEFORE THEY WENT ON 100 PERCENT OXYGEN. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT AN OVERFILLED SKYDROL TANK MAY HAVE CAUSED BENZENE BEARING FUMES TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. ALSO, A FAULT WAS FOUND WITH THE #1 ENG PRECOOLER ALSO PERMITTING FUMES TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. FLC WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT PULMONARY FUNCTION AND BLOOD TESTS RESULTS WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE RENEWALS FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD. RPTR CONTACTS WITH ATC INDICATE THAT ATC THINKS THEY DID NOTHING WRONG.

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.