Rain repellent exposure.

Attributes
ACN	301462
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 21000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6200 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	301462
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On flight from phf to clt at approximately XA45L, a rain repellent leak was detected via a smell in the cockpit, we inhaled it for approximately 1 full min. We descended and landed. I had a reaction to the repellent via a redness on my skin and dizziness. The mechanic who checked the aircraft we flew said the bottle was empty and the seal had leaked. The aircraft was a dc-9-30. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that his first indication that he had of the rain repellent leak was the 'orange smell.' he mentioned this to the captain and the captain asked the flight attendants if they were eating or serving oranges. When they said no, the reporter realized that it was a rain repellent leak. The flight crew then donned oxygen masks. The exposure time between the 'orange smell' and the masks on was less than 1 min in the first officer's estimation. The flight crew requested direct routing from the center and landed at their destination shortly afterward. During deplaning he felt dizzy and both flight crew members went to the hospital. At the hospital a toxicologist reviewed some information sent with them by the company and remarked that this stuff has a half life of 15 mins. The next morning we were released and we deadheaded home. I felt very tired even though I had slept very soundly at the hospital. When I got home I went to bed early and slept very soundly again, but still felt sleepy the next day. Later I went to the company's wellness clinic/doctor and reviewed my hospital report. The report mentioned the redness on my face and neck and I remembered feeling an itchiness and I had washed my face and neck at the airport to relieve that feeling. The company doctor said that he did not feel qualified to judge whether I was ready to return to flight duty or not, so I told him that I felt that I could. I am flying now, but I still occasionally feel a bit weird. I am not sure if this is from the exposure or from other pressures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAIN REPELLENT EXPOSURE.

Narrative: ON FLT FROM PHF TO CLT AT APPROX XA45L, A RAIN REPELLENT LEAK WAS DETECTED VIA A SMELL IN THE COCKPIT, WE INHALED IT FOR APPROX 1 FULL MIN. WE DSNDED AND LANDED. I HAD A REACTION TO THE REPELLENT VIA A REDNESS ON MY SKIN AND DIZZINESS. THE MECH WHO CHKED THE ACFT WE FLEW SAID THE BOTTLE WAS EMPTY AND THE SEAL HAD LEAKED. THE ACFT WAS A DC-9-30. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT HIS FIRST INDICATION THAT HE HAD OF THE RAIN REPELLENT LEAK WAS THE 'ORANGE SMELL.' HE MENTIONED THIS TO THE CAPT AND THE CAPT ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY WERE EATING OR SERVING ORANGES. WHEN THEY SAID NO, THE RPTR REALIZED THAT IT WAS A RAIN REPELLENT LEAK. THE FLC THEN DONNED OXYGEN MASKS. THE EXPOSURE TIME BTWN THE 'ORANGE SMELL' AND THE MASKS ON WAS LESS THAN 1 MIN IN THE FO'S ESTIMATION. THE FLC REQUESTED DIRECT ROUTING FROM THE CTR AND LANDED AT THEIR DEST SHORTLY AFTERWARD. DURING DEPLANING HE FELT DIZZY AND BOTH FLC MEMBERS WENT TO THE HOSPITAL. AT THE HOSPITAL A TOXICOLOGIST REVIEWED SOME INFO SENT WITH THEM BY THE COMPANY AND REMARKED THAT THIS STUFF HAS A HALF LIFE OF 15 MINS. THE NEXT MORNING WE WERE RELEASED AND WE DEADHEADED HOME. I FELT VERY TIRED EVEN THOUGH I HAD SLEPT VERY SOUNDLY AT THE HOSPITAL. WHEN I GOT HOME I WENT TO BED EARLY AND SLEPT VERY SOUNDLY AGAIN, BUT STILL FELT SLEEPY THE NEXT DAY. LATER I WENT TO THE COMPANY'S WELLNESS CLINIC/DOCTOR AND REVIEWED MY HOSPITAL RPT. THE RPT MENTIONED THE REDNESS ON MY FACE AND NECK AND I REMEMBERED FEELING AN ITCHINESS AND I HAD WASHED MY FACE AND NECK AT THE ARPT TO RELIEVE THAT FEELING. THE COMPANY DOCTOR SAID THAT HE DID NOT FEEL QUALIFIED TO JUDGE WHETHER I WAS READY TO RETURN TO FLT DUTY OR NOT, SO I TOLD HIM THAT I FELT THAT I COULD. I AM FLYING NOW, BUT I STILL OCCASIONALLY FEEL A BIT WEIRD. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS FROM THE EXPOSURE OR FROM OTHER PRESSURES.

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.