Narrative:

My opinion is that oil, hydraulic fumes, odors in cabin chronically has caused repeated illness and injury. Apparently the leaking of these chemicals into ventilation system has caused levels of contamination that have resulted in poisonings by organophosphates. In the course of the flight I was compromised and became ill from odors, fumes, aerosols? No memory for wheat bagel or raisin bagel? Clumsiness, nausea, suffocating feelings. Exposure throughout aft cabin, certain rows more distinct and disabling. Other flight attendants, apparently not affected, nor did they claim to notice odor. Some passenger were brightly flushed and asleep at exit rows. Some coughing throughout cabin. I believe I have become sensitized to this chronic contamination. If a pilot was similarly sensitized he would threaten the safety of the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that she had documented each incident and follows through with a report to the in-flight department and hopes this information is then sent to maintenance. The same type of fumes and odors have been present on the B737-400 as well, but not as frequent or as severe. The extent of the reaction seems to depend on where one is in the aircraft and how recently and how frequently the exposure has been. Reporter indicates this exposure has caused permanent disability for some flight attendants.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING PROB OF FUMES AND ODORS IN THE CABIN WHICH RESULT IN ILLNESS, CLUMSINESS, NAUSEA AND SUFFOCATING FEELING.

Narrative: MY OPINION IS THAT OIL, HYD FUMES, ODORS IN CABIN CHRONICALLY HAS CAUSED REPEATED ILLNESS AND INJURY. APPARENTLY THE LEAKING OF THESE CHEMICALS INTO VENTILATION SYS HAS CAUSED LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION THAT HAVE RESULTED IN POISONINGS BY ORGANOPHOSPHATES. IN THE COURSE OF THE FLT I WAS COMPROMISED AND BECAME ILL FROM ODORS, FUMES, AEROSOLS? NO MEMORY FOR WHEAT BAGEL OR RAISIN BAGEL? CLUMSINESS, NAUSEA, SUFFOCATING FEELINGS. EXPOSURE THROUGHOUT AFT CABIN, CERTAIN ROWS MORE DISTINCT AND DISABLING. OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS, APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTED, NOR DID THEY CLAIM TO NOTICE ODOR. SOME PAX WERE BRIGHTLY FLUSHED AND ASLEEP AT EXIT ROWS. SOME COUGHING THROUGHOUT CABIN. I BELIEVE I HAVE BECOME SENSITIZED TO THIS CHRONIC CONTAMINATION. IF A PLT WAS SIMILARLY SENSITIZED HE WOULD THREATEN THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT SHE HAD DOCUMENTED EACH INCIDENT AND FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH A RPT TO THE INFLT DEPT AND HOPES THIS INFO IS THEN SENT TO MAINT. THE SAME TYPE OF FUMES AND ODORS HAVE BEEN PRESENT ON THE B737-400 AS WELL, BUT NOT AS FREQUENT OR AS SEVERE. THE EXTENT OF THE REACTION SEEMS TO DEPEND ON WHERE ONE IS IN THE ACFT AND HOW RECENTLY AND HOW FREQUENTLY THE EXPOSURE HAS BEEN. RPTR INDICATES THIS EXPOSURE HAS CAUSED PERMANENT DISABILITY FOR SOME FLT ATTENDANTS.

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.