Narrative:

On jul/xx/93 myself, as captain, and first officer were the crew assigned to flight from indianapolis to dayton. Just prior to passenger boarding, first officer came up to the cockpit and mentioned that he smelled a very faint odor of paint. I walked through the cabin to the rear of the aircraft and examined both rear baggage area and carry-on bin and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. I did not detect the odor at all. We both concluded that maintenance must have applied touch-up paint or some fiberglass epoxy to a surface not visible to our sight, possibly causing a faint odor. I have seen this practice by maintenance during my tenure. During taxi and takeoff I then detected a faint odor. During the en route portion of our short flight I decided to turn off the recirculation fan, increase the flows and raise the cabin altitude so as to minimize the odor that the passenger might be experiencing. During out descent into the dayton area the odor got progressively stronger. We then parked at the gate, all passenger were deplaned and the first officer did the post-flight inspection while I phoned flight control to remind them to call maintenance about the strong smell. I then gave flight control our times for the day and as I was exiting the crew room my first officer approached me followed by 2 baggage handlers. He and the baggage handlers observed 3 small 8 by 8 size packages with comat labels on them. 1 of them was leaking a fluid. These package were apparently in the bottom of the rear baggage area and not discovered until the baggage was unloaded. We once again confirmed that maintenance had been notified of the situation. We then left to go home. We both experienced some mild symptoms such as headache and fatigue. I noticed a slight difficulty in swallowing. We figured we needed some fresh air so we both left in a hurry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HAZARDOUS CARGO PROB PROC.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/93 MYSELF, AS CAPT, AND FO WERE THE CREW ASSIGNED TO FLT FROM INDIANAPOLIS TO DAYTON. JUST PRIOR TO PAX BOARDING, FO CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND MENTIONED THAT HE SMELLED A VERY FAINT ODOR OF PAINT. I WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT AND EXAMINED BOTH REAR BAGGAGE AREA AND CARRY-ON BIN AND NOTICED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I DID NOT DETECT THE ODOR AT ALL. WE BOTH CONCLUDED THAT MAINT MUST HAVE APPLIED TOUCH-UP PAINT OR SOME FIBERGLASS EPOXY TO A SURFACE NOT VISIBLE TO OUR SIGHT, POSSIBLY CAUSING A FAINT ODOR. I HAVE SEEN THIS PRACTICE BY MAINT DURING MY TENURE. DURING TAXI AND TKOF I THEN DETECTED A FAINT ODOR. DURING THE ENRTE PORTION OF OUR SHORT FLT I DECIDED TO TURN OFF THE RECIRCULATION FAN, INCREASE THE FLOWS AND RAISE THE CABIN ALT SO AS TO MINIMIZE THE ODOR THAT THE PAX MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING. DURING OUT DSCNT INTO THE DAYTON AREA THE ODOR GOT PROGRESSIVELY STRONGER. WE THEN PARKED AT THE GATE, ALL PAX WERE DEPLANED AND THE FO DID THE POST-FLT INSPECTION WHILE I PHONED FLT CTL TO REMIND THEM TO CALL MAINT ABOUT THE STRONG SMELL. I THEN GAVE FLT CTL OUR TIMES FOR THE DAY AND AS I WAS EXITING THE CREW ROOM MY FO APCHED ME FOLLOWED BY 2 BAGGAGE HANDLERS. HE AND THE BAGGAGE HANDLERS OBSERVED 3 SMALL 8 BY 8 SIZE PACKAGES WITH COMAT LABELS ON THEM. 1 OF THEM WAS LEAKING A FLUID. THESE PACKAGE WERE APPARENTLY IN THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR BAGGAGE AREA AND NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL THE BAGGAGE WAS UNLOADED. WE ONCE AGAIN CONFIRMED THAT MAINT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE SIT. WE THEN LEFT TO GO HOME. WE BOTH EXPERIENCED SOME MILD SYMPTOMS SUCH AS HEADACHE AND FATIGUE. I NOTICED A SLIGHT DIFFICULTY IN SWALLOWING. WE FIGURED WE NEEDED SOME FRESH AIR SO WE BOTH LEFT IN A HURRY.

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.