A B757 in-flight develops an odor in the cabin over the wing area that smells similar to gas. Cabin ...

Attributes
ACN	369513
Time
Date	199705
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau artcc : zkc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	369513
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Location: ord/190/200. 2 hours 50 mins into the flight a flight attendant informed us there was a strong smell of gasoline in the cabin around row xx. I sent the first officer back to investigate and he returned stating that there was a smell of some kind but he couldn't tell if it was fuel, he thought it smelled more like paint thinner. We declared emergency and headed straight for ord. There was no indication of any problem in the cockpit. We cycled packs off one at a time with no real result. Approach and landing was uneventful. Crash fire rescue equipment was standing by and I had them follow us to the gate and stand by until all the passenger had deplaned. One of the passenger deplaning stated that he thought it smelled a lot like insecticide. I informed maintenance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the odor was reported by a passenger. A flight attendant described it as a gas odor, because it smelled like her lawn mower. Another passenger thought it smelled like an insecticide. The captain had the cabin crew and his first officer check the seat area and overhead bins to find if any leaking containers or damp baggage had resulted from a leaking container of fluid. The aircraft was flying from mexico but no insecticide spraying had occurred, since the requirement for spraying in mexico has been discontinued. Captain was unable to find any final resolution about what caused the odor, he did request information from his company to follow up, but, he has received no further information. Upon landing, he was escorted by the crash fire rescue equipment to his gate. He was unable to get off his aircraft to investigate below the cabin floor as he had to pass through customs. It is thought by flight crew members that the odor resembled gasoline, paint thinner, or insecticide.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 INFLT DEVELOPS AN ODOR IN THE CABIN OVER THE WING AREA THAT SMELLS SIMILAR TO GAS. CABIN AND FLC INVESTIGATE AND ARE UNABLE TO IDENT ODOR, SO CAPT ASSUMES IT IS A GASOLINE SPILL AND DECLARES AN EMER TO GET ACFT ON GND, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Narrative: LOCATION: ORD/190/200. 2 HRS 50 MINS INTO THE FLT A FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN THE CABIN AROUND ROW XX. I SENT THE FO BACK TO INVESTIGATE AND HE RETURNED STATING THAT THERE WAS A SMELL OF SOME KIND BUT HE COULDN'T TELL IF IT WAS FUEL, HE THOUGHT IT SMELLED MORE LIKE PAINT THINNER. WE DECLARED EMER AND HEADED STRAIGHT FOR ORD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB IN THE COCKPIT. WE CYCLED PACKS OFF ONE AT A TIME WITH NO REAL RESULT. APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. CFR WAS STANDING BY AND I HAD THEM FOLLOW US TO THE GATE AND STAND BY UNTIL ALL THE PAX HAD DEPLANED. ONE OF THE PAX DEPLANING STATED THAT HE THOUGHT IT SMELLED A LOT LIKE INSECTICIDE. I INFORMED MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ODOR WAS RPTED BY A PAX. A FLT ATTENDANT DESCRIBED IT AS A GAS ODOR, BECAUSE IT SMELLED LIKE HER LAWN MOWER. ANOTHER PAX THOUGHT IT SMELLED LIKE AN INSECTICIDE. THE CAPT HAD THE CABIN CREW AND HIS FO CHK THE SEAT AREA AND OVERHEAD BINS TO FIND IF ANY LEAKING CONTAINERS OR DAMP BAGGAGE HAD RESULTED FROM A LEAKING CONTAINER OF FLUID. THE ACFT WAS FLYING FROM MEXICO BUT NO INSECTICIDE SPRAYING HAD OCCURRED, SINCE THE REQUIREMENT FOR SPRAYING IN MEXICO HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. CAPT WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY FINAL RESOLUTION ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THE ODOR, HE DID REQUEST INFO FROM HIS COMPANY TO FOLLOW UP, BUT, HE HAS RECEIVED NO FURTHER INFO. UPON LNDG, HE WAS ESCORTED BY THE CFR TO HIS GATE. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET OFF HIS ACFT TO INVESTIGATE BELOW THE CABIN FLOOR AS HE HAD TO PASS THROUGH CUSTOMS. IT IS THOUGHT BY FLC MEMBERS THAT THE ODOR RESEMBLED GASOLINE, PAINT THINNER, OR INSECTICIDE.

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.

A B757 in-flight develops an odor in the cabin over the wing area that smells similar to gas. Cabin and flight crew investigate and are unable to identify odor, so captain assumes it is a gasoline spill and declares an emergency to get aircraft on ground, as soon as possible.