Narrative:

Maintenance brought log to aircraft with MEL for rain repellent for leaking. Mechanic indicated that he changed bottles and the new bottle leaked. I accepted MEL and asked him to remove replacement bottle even though valve was turned off. When I returned to the cockpit, I then smelled citrus/grapefruit odor, which I believed to be leaking rain repellent. We then opened both cockpit windows to air out cockpit. After some 20 mins, the smell became stronger and both my first officer and I began to get a headache and feel light-headed. At that time, I refused the aircraft and asked for maintenance. Upon further discussion, it came out that maintenance found the first bottle empty, changed that bottle, found that bottle empty, then installed a new bottle which they found leaking. Thus, something over 1 bottle leaked into the airplane and was not found where this leaked to. Apparently, when the electrical compartment was closed, it forced the fumes into the cockpit. I found the 'citrus' taggant to be much too 'friendly.' I feel the smell should be more like that added to natural gas. It is distinctive and says danger. This grapefruit smell does not say danger. Most pilots are not even aware of the fact that repellent is highly toxic, or that it has the taggant. This is also the sixth rain repellent leak incident that I am aware of in the past 6 months. I am aware of 3 crews and 1 mechanic that have gone to the hospital for repellent exposure. There has also been one emergency landing due to crew exposed to repellent. I believe it is time to get this toxic/dangerous substance off our airplanes. It is unnecessary for the safe operation of aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a safety rep for his pilot's union and a captain for a major united states air carrier. He seems to be an expert on the subject of the patented, brand name rain repellent that is used in all major air carrier aircraft. The reporter has a 'spy in the family' (his wife) working for the company that developed the system, further adding to his expertise. His spy reports that the system must be phased out by sometime in 1995 as it is propelled by one of the freon gasses. In the meantime, the system leaks, especially at the reporter's air carrier, to the point that the reporter feels that there may be sabotage in the ranks of the mechanics. Another pilot with the same air carrier sued his air carrier and the aircraft manufacturer and won a settlement for injuries suffered when he breathed repellent over an extended period of time. One of the results of the law suit was an odor was added to the repellent to make it apparent that there was a leak. The reporter has gotten his air carrier's engineering department in the act to remove the repellent. It is to be replaced by a coating to be applied at heavy maintenance checks.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FOUND THAT RAIN REPELLENT HAD LEAKED INTO THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: MAINT BROUGHT LOG TO ACFT WITH MEL FOR RAIN REPELLENT FOR LEAKING. MECH INDICATED THAT HE CHANGED BOTTLES AND THE NEW BOTTLE LEAKED. I ACCEPTED MEL AND ASKED HIM TO REMOVE REPLACEMENT BOTTLE EVEN THOUGH VALVE WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT, I THEN SMELLED CITRUS/GRAPEFRUIT ODOR, WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE LEAKING RAIN REPELLENT. WE THEN OPENED BOTH COCKPIT WINDOWS TO AIR OUT COCKPIT. AFTER SOME 20 MINS, THE SMELL BECAME STRONGER AND BOTH MY FO AND I BEGAN TO GET A HEADACHE AND FEEL LIGHT-HEADED. AT THAT TIME, I REFUSED THE ACFT AND ASKED FOR MAINT. UPON FURTHER DISCUSSION, IT CAME OUT THAT MAINT FOUND THE FIRST BOTTLE EMPTY, CHANGED THAT BOTTLE, FOUND THAT BOTTLE EMPTY, THEN INSTALLED A NEW BOTTLE WHICH THEY FOUND LEAKING. THUS, SOMETHING OVER 1 BOTTLE LEAKED INTO THE AIRPLANE AND WAS NOT FOUND WHERE THIS LEAKED TO. APPARENTLY, WHEN THE ELECTRICAL COMPARTMENT WAS CLOSED, IT FORCED THE FUMES INTO THE COCKPIT. I FOUND THE 'CITRUS' TAGGANT TO BE MUCH TOO 'FRIENDLY.' I FEEL THE SMELL SHOULD BE MORE LIKE THAT ADDED TO NATURAL GAS. IT IS DISTINCTIVE AND SAYS DANGER. THIS GRAPEFRUIT SMELL DOES NOT SAY DANGER. MOST PLTS ARE NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE FACT THAT REPELLENT IS HIGHLY TOXIC, OR THAT IT HAS THE TAGGANT. THIS IS ALSO THE SIXTH RAIN REPELLENT LEAK INCIDENT THAT I AM AWARE OF IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. I AM AWARE OF 3 CREWS AND 1 MECH THAT HAVE GONE TO THE HOSPITAL FOR REPELLENT EXPOSURE. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN ONE EMER LNDG DUE TO CREW EXPOSED TO REPELLENT. I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO GET THIS TOXIC/DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE OFF OUR AIRPLANES. IT IS UNNECESSARY FOR THE SAFE OP OF ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A SAFETY REP FOR HIS PLT'S UNION AND A CAPT FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE SEEMS TO BE AN EXPERT ON THE SUBJECT OF THE PATENTED, BRAND NAME RAIN REPELLENT THAT IS USED IN ALL MAJOR ACR ACFT. THE RPTR HAS A 'SPY IN THE FAMILY' (HIS WIFE) WORKING FOR THE COMPANY THAT DEVELOPED THE SYS, FURTHER ADDING TO HIS EXPERTISE. HIS SPY RPTS THAT THE SYS MUST BE PHASED OUT BY SOMETIME IN 1995 AS IT IS PROPELLED BY ONE OF THE FREON GASSES. IN THE MEANTIME, THE SYS LEAKS, ESPECIALLY AT THE RPTR'S ACR, TO THE POINT THAT THE RPTR FEELS THAT THERE MAY BE SABOTAGE IN THE RANKS OF THE MECHS. ANOTHER PLT WITH THE SAME ACR SUED HIS ACR AND THE ACFT MANUFACTURER AND WON A SETTLEMENT FOR INJURIES SUFFERED WHEN HE BREATHED REPELLENT OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. ONE OF THE RESULTS OF THE LAW SUIT WAS AN ODOR WAS ADDED TO THE REPELLENT TO MAKE IT APPARENT THAT THERE WAS A LEAK. THE RPTR HAS GOTTEN HIS ACR'S ENGINEERING DEPT IN THE ACT TO REMOVE THE REPELLENT. IT IS TO BE REPLACED BY A COATING TO BE APPLIED AT HVY MAINT CHKS.

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.