Narrative:

Situation: presence of a caustic, acidic odor from undocumented and improperly loaded hazmat while at cruise justifying an emergency divert. Course of events: flight crew had no knowledge of hazmat on board the aircraft, and had queried and confirmed with the ground handling agency at rome's fiumicino airport there was no hazmat on board the aircraft prior to flight. The aircraft crew consisted of the 3 required flight crew members and 2 company aircraft mechanics. At approximately PM00 local while cruising at FL310 on UR16 to the limoges VOR, 1 of the aircraft mechanics complained of a caustic, acidic odor coming from the lower forward cargo compartment. There was no documentation or knowledge of hazmat on board the aircraft. The aircraft mechanic, along with the flight engineer, donned oxygen bottles and masks and made a visual inspection of the affected cargo compartment. They confirmed there was an open container on angle on a cargo pallet that was leaking an unknown substance. Later, the mechanic complained of feeling ill and remained on oxygen the remainder of the flight. After confirming the presence of the odor, the captain directed me to declare an emergency and request a divert routing to paris charles de gaulle airport form marseille control. The smoke and fume elimination checklist was completed, along with the normal operations checklists. The crew set up for, and briefed the approach to runway 9 at lfpg where an uneventful landing was completed. The aircraft was met by emergency equipment and medical personnel, and parked in a remote location. The aircraft mechanic was treated by medics and later released and the hazmat was removed. No further complications were experienced and aircraft was released to continue to its destination of jfk. Possible contributing factors: pro: professionalism and excellent crew resource management. Con: improperly palletized hazmat. Unauthorized and undocumented loading of hazmat on the part of the ground handling agency at lifr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HAZARDOUS MATERIAL CARGO LEAK CAUSED THE FLC OF A WDB TO DECLARE AN EMER AND DIVERT LAND.

Narrative: SIT: PRESENCE OF A CAUSTIC, ACIDIC ODOR FROM UNDOCUMENTED AND IMPROPERLY LOADED HAZMAT WHILE AT CRUISE JUSTIFYING AN EMER DIVERT. COURSE OF EVENTS: FLC HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF HAZMAT ON BOARD THE ACFT, AND HAD QUERIED AND CONFIRMED WITH THE GND HANDLING AGENCY AT ROME'S FIUMICINO ARPT THERE WAS NO HAZMAT ON BOARD THE ACFT PRIOR TO FLT. THE ACFT CREW CONSISTED OF THE 3 REQUIRED FLC MEMBERS AND 2 COMPANY ACFT MECHS. AT APPROX PM00 LCL WHILE CRUISING AT FL310 ON UR16 TO THE LIMOGES VOR, 1 OF THE ACFT MECHS COMPLAINED OF A CAUSTIC, ACIDIC ODOR COMING FROM THE LOWER FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT. THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTATION OR KNOWLEDGE OF HAZMAT ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE ACFT MECH, ALONG WITH THE FE, DONNED OXYGEN BOTTLES AND MASKS AND MADE A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AFFECTED CARGO COMPARTMENT. THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS AN OPEN CONTAINER ON ANGLE ON A CARGO PALLET THAT WAS LEAKING AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE. LATER, THE MECH COMPLAINED OF FEELING ILL AND REMAINED ON OXYGEN THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. AFTER CONFIRMING THE PRESENCE OF THE ODOR, THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO DECLARE AN EMER AND REQUEST A DIVERT ROUTING TO PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE ARPT FORM MARSEILLE CTL. THE SMOKE AND FUME ELIMINATION CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED, ALONG WITH THE NORMAL OPS CHKLISTS. THE CREW SET UP FOR, AND BRIEFED THE APCH TO RWY 9 AT LFPG WHERE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS COMPLETED. THE ACFT WAS MET BY EMER EQUIP AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL, AND PARKED IN A REMOTE LOCATION. THE ACFT MECH WAS TREATED BY MEDICS AND LATER RELEASED AND THE HAZMAT WAS REMOVED. NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS WERE EXPERIENCED AND ACFT WAS RELEASED TO CONTINUE TO ITS DEST OF JFK. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PRO: PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENT CREW RESOURCE MGMNT. CON: IMPROPERLY PALLETIZED HAZMAT. UNAUTHORIZED AND UNDOCUMENTED LOADING OF HAZMAT ON THE PART OF THE GND HANDLING AGENCY AT LIFR.

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.