Narrative:

En route to ags at FL190 flight attendants in rear of aircraft called cockpit and complained of dizziness, as well as a 'funny pressure' feeling. The flight attendants questioned if the aircraft was pressurized properly. The captain and so checked the pressurization panel. Both packs were operating normally, differential press was at 8.5-8.6 psi, cabin pressure was programmed in standby mode to be minus 55 ft and cabin pressure indicated less than zero ft. The flight attendants then relayed to the captain that they smelled something 'funny, like the stuff you pickle the frogs with after you dissect them. Captain stated, 'formaldehyde?' and the flight attendants agreed. At this point, an emergency was declared because the flight attendants complained of nausea and dizziness. The smoke/fire indication and removal checklist was accomplished as well as a rapid descent. On the descent the #1 generator field trip light came on and the abnormal checklist for AC power malfunction was successfully completed and generator #1 placed back on line. During the descent to ags handling from approach contact was poor after declaring the emergency. Captain stated that he wanted to be cleared directly to the field for an immediate landing and we were given 2 altitude restrs due to traffic. Airspeed below 10000 ft was approximately 365 KIAS until 3000 ft AGL when we slowed to configure the aircraft for landing. Landing in ags was uneventful, aircraft back taxied on runway 35 to the gate. Aircraft was parked at the gate and the captain made a PA asking passenger to deplane as expeditiously as possible due to the 'formaldehyde fumes' in the rear of the aircraft. In summary 2 flight attendants complained of dizziness and nausea, all the passenger from the aft galley back complained of a 'strong formaldehyde' order. 1 man complained and left a card. Airspeed violations: less than 250 KIAS below 10000 ft and less than 200 KIAS in the airport traffic area were a necessity in order to get the plane on the ground and passenger off before anymore adverse reaction to the fumes could take effect. Upon landing all passenger deplaned under their own power. No requests were made for medical assistance or treatment. The 2 flight attendants were examined and released by the airport fire department emergency medical technicians.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED - FLC DETECTS FORMALDEHYDE LIKE FUMES IN THE AFT CABIN OF AN ACR DURING CRUISE. THEY LAND ASAP.

Narrative: ENRTE TO AGS AT FL190 FLT ATTENDANTS IN REAR OF ACFT CALLED COCKPIT AND COMPLAINED OF DIZZINESS, AS WELL AS A 'FUNNY PRESSURE' FEELING. THE FLT ATTENDANTS QUESTIONED IF THE ACFT WAS PRESSURIZED PROPERLY. THE CAPT AND SO CHKED THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL. BOTH PACKS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY, DIFFERENTIAL PRESS WAS AT 8.5-8.6 PSI, CABIN PRESSURE WAS PROGRAMMED IN STANDBY MODE TO BE MINUS 55 FT AND CABIN PRESSURE INDICATED LESS THAN ZERO FT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS THEN RELAYED TO THE CAPT THAT THEY SMELLED SOMETHING 'FUNNY, LIKE THE STUFF YOU PICKLE THE FROGS WITH AFTER YOU DISSECT THEM. CAPT STATED, 'FORMALDEHYDE?' AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS AGREED. AT THIS POINT, AN EMER WAS DECLARED BECAUSE THE FLT ATTENDANTS COMPLAINED OF NAUSEA AND DIZZINESS. THE SMOKE/FIRE INDICATION AND REMOVAL CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED AS WELL AS A RAPID DSCNT. ON THE DSCNT THE #1 GENERATOR FIELD TRIP LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST FOR AC PWR MALFUNCTION WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AND GENERATOR #1 PLACED BACK ON LINE. DURING THE DSCNT TO AGS HANDLING FROM APCH CONTACT WAS POOR AFTER DECLARING THE EMER. CAPT STATED THAT HE WANTED TO BE CLRED DIRECTLY TO THE FIELD FOR AN IMMEDIATE LNDG AND WE WERE GIVEN 2 ALT RESTRS DUE TO TFC. AIRSPD BELOW 10000 FT WAS APPROX 365 KIAS UNTIL 3000 FT AGL WHEN WE SLOWED TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG. LNDG IN AGS WAS UNEVENTFUL, ACFT BACK TAXIED ON RWY 35 TO THE GATE. ACFT WAS PARKED AT THE GATE AND THE CAPT MADE A PA ASKING PAX TO DEPLANE AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE DUE TO THE 'FORMALDEHYDE FUMES' IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. IN SUMMARY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS COMPLAINED OF DIZZINESS AND NAUSEA, ALL THE PAX FROM THE AFT GALLEY BACK COMPLAINED OF A 'STRONG FORMALDEHYDE' ORDER. 1 MAN COMPLAINED AND LEFT A CARD. AIRSPD VIOLATIONS: LESS THAN 250 KIAS BELOW 10000 FT AND LESS THAN 200 KIAS IN THE ARPT TFC AREA WERE A NECESSITY IN ORDER TO GET THE PLANE ON THE GND AND PAX OFF BEFORE ANYMORE ADVERSE REACTION TO THE FUMES COULD TAKE EFFECT. UPON LNDG ALL PAX DEPLANED UNDER THEIR OWN PWR. NO REQUESTS WERE MADE FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR TREATMENT. THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE EXAMINED AND RELEASED BY THE ARPT FIRE DEPT EMER MEDICAL TECHNICIANS.

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.