Narrative:

After climb, we noticed an unusual odor in cockpit. We were unable to determine its source or what type of odor it might be. The odor was only 'faint' and not really a burning rubber or electrical smell. Checked with lead flight attendant to see if source of odor was coming from forward galley, which turned out to be not the case. Note that the odor was not significantly strong, such as one associated with a continued burning of a material. As the flight progressed we continued to try to determine what might be the source of this faint odor. During the time we were experiencing a continual illumination of the horizon light on the instrument warning indicator during left turns and what appeared to be the failing of the standby horizon indicator. During our search we also determined the right generator load meter was not functioning properly. After reference to the logbook, we found a previous write-up of an undetermined ozone smell in the aircraft. There was also 2 previous write-ups in reference to unexplained smoke detector activation in the lavs. At some point during the flight, the first officer said he was not feeling well and did not feel he would be able to continue on the trip after dtw, unless he improved. I was also slightly nauseated, had a headache and was extremely fatigued. Both common crew flight attendants had been to the cockpit and noticed the odor. They also said they were not feeling well, complaining of the same symptoms we were experiencing. After arriving in dtw, the aircraft was grounded due to the write-ups in the aircraft log. Again all common crew members had the same symptoms (we were unable to confer with the add flight attendant about her condition, she departed the aircraft to catch a connecting flight). The first officer again told me he did not feel he would be able to continue and commented that I did not act as if I was feeling well, nor was I in the same state of well being as in the previous 2 days of flying. At this point, the entire crew agreed we should not continue to fly, but should seek medical attention. After making the necessary arrangements, it was 2 hours and 15 mins from block in time until we checked into the emergency room, then another 1 hour and 15 mins before blood was drawn for the carboxy-hb test. (3 1/2 hours after flight arrived in dtw.) our carboxy/hemoglobin reference values for the crew ranged from 2.3-2.5. Being a non-smoker, I am aware they are above normal. I wonder what the reference values might have been if the test was taken just after we landed. Looking back the only other action I should have taken was for the crew to use oxygen. More aggressive action in seeking medical attention might have produced more accurate test results. I have been unable to determine what repairs were made to the aircraft, as of this moment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain stated that there never was a good plausible explanation for the odor that caused the flight crew and cabin crew ill feelings. Ground maintenance offered the explanation of something stuck in the air conditioning duct which was causing it. Other explanation offered was the APU was overfilled with oil and that was the fluid that drained into the air conditioning duct creating the odor. Flight crew and some of cabin crew were concerned enough about it to have their blood checked for carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide level was high enough for a person who smoked, but that was 3 1/2 hours after landing. Captain was a non-smoker and his co-level should not have been as high as a smoker co- level. Captain followed write-up of aircraft before this incident and found same write-up as their complaint. He followed the write-up after this incident and found nothing further to happen such as this incident. Company is performing further investigation of this incident to see if the exact cause can be determined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC AND CABIN CREW FEEL NAUSEATED DURING CRUISE IN A DC9- 30. CARBON MONOXIDE SUSPECTED AS THE CAUSE.

Narrative: AFTER CLB, WE NOTICED AN UNUSUAL ODOR IN COCKPIT. WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE ITS SOURCE OR WHAT TYPE OF ODOR IT MIGHT BE. THE ODOR WAS ONLY 'FAINT' AND NOT REALLY A BURNING RUBBER OR ELECTRICAL SMELL. CHKED WITH LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO SEE IF SOURCE OF ODOR WAS COMING FROM FORWARD GALLEY, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE NOT THE CASE. NOTE THAT THE ODOR WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY STRONG, SUCH AS ONE ASSOCIATED WITH A CONTINUED BURNING OF A MATERIAL. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED WE CONTINUED TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT MIGHT BE THE SOURCE OF THIS FAINT ODOR. DURING THE TIME WE WERE EXPERIENCING A CONTINUAL ILLUMINATION OF THE HORIZON LIGHT ON THE INST WARNING INDICATOR DURING L TURNS AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE FAILING OF THE STANDBY HORIZON INDICATOR. DURING OUR SEARCH WE ALSO DETERMINED THE R GENERATOR LOAD METER WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. AFTER REF TO THE LOGBOOK, WE FOUND A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP OF AN UNDETERMINED OZONE SMELL IN THE ACFT. THERE WAS ALSO 2 PREVIOUS WRITE-UPS IN REF TO UNEXPLAINED SMOKE DETECTOR ACTIVATION IN THE LAVS. AT SOME POINT DURING THE FLT, THE FO SAID HE WAS NOT FEELING WELL AND DID NOT FEEL HE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE ON THE TRIP AFTER DTW, UNLESS HE IMPROVED. I WAS ALSO SLIGHTLY NAUSEATED, HAD A HEADACHE AND WAS EXTREMELY FATIGUED. BOTH COMMON CREW FLT ATTENDANTS HAD BEEN TO THE COCKPIT AND NOTICED THE ODOR. THEY ALSO SAID THEY WERE NOT FEELING WELL, COMPLAINING OF THE SAME SYMPTOMS WE WERE EXPERIENCING. AFTER ARRIVING IN DTW, THE ACFT WAS GROUNDED DUE TO THE WRITE-UPS IN THE ACFT LOG. AGAIN ALL COMMON CREW MEMBERS HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS (WE WERE UNABLE TO CONFER WITH THE ADD FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT HER CONDITION, SHE DEPARTED THE ACFT TO CATCH A CONNECTING FLT). THE FO AGAIN TOLD ME HE DID NOT FEEL HE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE AND COMMENTED THAT I DID NOT ACT AS IF I WAS FEELING WELL, NOR WAS I IN THE SAME STATE OF WELL BEING AS IN THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS OF FLYING. AT THIS POINT, THE ENTIRE CREW AGREED WE SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO FLY, BUT SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL ATTN. AFTER MAKING THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS, IT WAS 2 HRS AND 15 MINS FROM BLOCK IN TIME UNTIL WE CHKED INTO THE EMER ROOM, THEN ANOTHER 1 HR AND 15 MINS BEFORE BLOOD WAS DRAWN FOR THE CARBOXY-HB TEST. (3 1/2 HRS AFTER FLT ARRIVED IN DTW.) OUR CARBOXY/HEMOGLOBIN REF VALUES FOR THE CREW RANGED FROM 2.3-2.5. BEING A NON-SMOKER, I AM AWARE THEY ARE ABOVE NORMAL. I WONDER WHAT THE REF VALUES MIGHT HAVE BEEN IF THE TEST WAS TAKEN JUST AFTER WE LANDED. LOOKING BACK THE ONLY OTHER ACTION I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN WAS FOR THE CREW TO USE OXYGEN. MORE AGGRESSIVE ACTION IN SEEKING MEDICAL ATTN MIGHT HAVE PRODUCED MORE ACCURATE TEST RESULTS. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE ACFT, AS OF THIS MOMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT STATED THAT THERE NEVER WAS A GOOD PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THE ODOR THAT CAUSED THE FLC AND CABIN CREW ILL FEELINGS. GND MAINT OFFERED THE EXPLANATION OF SOMETHING STUCK IN THE AIR CONDITIONING DUCT WHICH WAS CAUSING IT. OTHER EXPLANATION OFFERED WAS THE APU WAS OVERFILLED WITH OIL AND THAT WAS THE FLUID THAT DRAINED INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING DUCT CREATING THE ODOR. FLC AND SOME OF CABIN CREW WERE CONCERNED ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO HAVE THEIR BLOOD CHKED FOR CARBON MONOXIDE. CARBON MONOXIDE LEVEL WAS HIGH ENOUGH FOR A PERSON WHO SMOKED, BUT THAT WAS 3 1/2 HRS AFTER LNDG. CAPT WAS A NON-SMOKER AND HIS CO-LEVEL SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS HIGH AS A SMOKER CO- LEVEL. CAPT FOLLOWED WRITE-UP OF ACFT BEFORE THIS INCIDENT AND FOUND SAME WRITE-UP AS THEIR COMPLAINT. HE FOLLOWED THE WRITE-UP AFTER THIS INCIDENT AND FOUND NOTHING FURTHER TO HAPPEN SUCH AS THIS INCIDENT. COMPANY IS PERFORMING FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT TO SEE IF THE EXACT CAUSE CAN BE DETERMINED.

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.