Narrative:

Approximately 40 mins from landing on a routine scheduled cargo flight originating in jfk en route to brussels (ebbr) the crew noticed an unusual odor in the cockpit area. Almost immediately, the first officer felt a fine mist of liquid hitting his right arm. The odor had a solvent type smell and the crew donned oxygen masks and checked in via aircraft intercom and the overhead speakers. We began looking for the source of the fumes and quickly found that the rain repellent canister had developed a leak and was spraying into the cockpit. I decided to empty the remaining fluid by discharging it on the first officer's windshield. We requested a lower altitude should a diversion become necessary, and I had the so raise the cabin altitude to help clear the fumes from the cockpit. I requested the so (flight engineer) to call our operations in ebbr and advise them of our situation, and to request information from aircraft maintenance to determine how toxic the repellent compound was. Brussels operations advised us that medical personnel were on duty at our operations, and maintenance advised us that the compound was not dangerous, that it was, in fact, alcohol based and no threat. I didn't believe this judging from the smell and elected to keep the crew on oxygen. I requested direct routing to ebbr from ATC (as we normally do) and in light of the fact that the leak was stopped, and the crew on oxygen, I felt it would be quickest to continue on to brussels. The so tried to mop up some of the liquid on the cabin floor with paper towels and also probably spent the most time of any of the crew members in contact with the rain repellent without an oxygen mask on. On the ground in brussels we were met by maintenance and I had a chance to read the warnings printed on the canister. The substance sounded toxic and I called our director of operations back in the united states. He faxed us a medical fact sheet concerning exposure to the rain repellent compound which we took with us to the doctor in brussels. Captain and first officer have had no ill effects to date, but I understand that the so had developed nosebleeds and a bad cough. I recommend that #1 -- the rain repellent canisters be removed from the cockpit in all aircraft. #2 -- that in the meantime, all operators be advised of the dangers of exposure and carry out an immediate inspection of such system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAIN REPELLENT LEAK.

Narrative: APPROX 40 MINS FROM LNDG ON A ROUTINE SCHEDULED CARGO FLT ORIGINATING IN JFK ENRTE TO BRUSSELS (EBBR) THE CREW NOTICED AN UNUSUAL ODOR IN THE COCKPIT AREA. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE FO FELT A FINE MIST OF LIQUID HITTING HIS R ARM. THE ODOR HAD A SOLVENT TYPE SMELL AND THE CREW DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AND CHKED IN VIA ACFT INTERCOM AND THE OVERHEAD SPEAKERS. WE BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES AND QUICKLY FOUND THAT THE RAIN REPELLENT CANISTER HAD DEVELOPED A LEAK AND WAS SPRAYING INTO THE COCKPIT. I DECIDED TO EMPTY THE REMAINING FLUID BY DISCHARGING IT ON THE FO'S WINDSHIELD. WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT SHOULD A DIVERSION BECOME NECESSARY, AND I HAD THE SO RAISE THE CABIN ALT TO HELP CLR THE FUMES FROM THE COCKPIT. I REQUESTED THE SO (FE) TO CALL OUR OPS IN EBBR AND ADVISE THEM OF OUR SIT, AND TO REQUEST INFO FROM ACFT MAINT TO DETERMINE HOW TOXIC THE REPELLENT COMPOUND WAS. BRUSSELS OPS ADVISED US THAT MEDICAL PERSONNEL WERE ON DUTY AT OUR OPS, AND MAINT ADVISED US THAT THE COMPOUND WAS NOT DANGEROUS, THAT IT WAS, IN FACT, ALCOHOL BASED AND NO THREAT. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THIS JUDGING FROM THE SMELL AND ELECTED TO KEEP THE CREW ON OXYGEN. I REQUESTED DIRECT ROUTING TO EBBR FROM ATC (AS WE NORMALLY DO) AND IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE LEAK WAS STOPPED, AND THE CREW ON OXYGEN, I FELT IT WOULD BE QUICKEST TO CONTINUE ON TO BRUSSELS. THE SO TRIED TO MOP UP SOME OF THE LIQUID ON THE CABIN FLOOR WITH PAPER TOWELS AND ALSO PROBABLY SPENT THE MOST TIME OF ANY OF THE CREW MEMBERS IN CONTACT WITH THE RAIN REPELLENT WITHOUT AN OXYGEN MASK ON. ON THE GND IN BRUSSELS WE WERE MET BY MAINT AND I HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE WARNINGS PRINTED ON THE CANISTER. THE SUBSTANCE SOUNDED TOXIC AND I CALLED OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS BACK IN THE UNITED STATES. HE FAXED US A MEDICAL FACT SHEET CONCERNING EXPOSURE TO THE RAIN REPELLENT COMPOUND WHICH WE TOOK WITH US TO THE DOCTOR IN BRUSSELS. CAPT AND FO HAVE HAD NO ILL EFFECTS TO DATE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SO HAD DEVELOPED NOSEBLEEDS AND A BAD COUGH. I RECOMMEND THAT #1 -- THE RAIN REPELLENT CANISTERS BE REMOVED FROM THE COCKPIT IN ALL ACFT. #2 -- THAT IN THE MEANTIME, ALL OPERATORS BE ADVISED OF THE DANGERS OF EXPOSURE AND CARRY OUT AN IMMEDIATE INSPECTION OF SUCH SYS.

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.