B727-200 aircraft in cruise. Chemical odor noted by flight crew causing tingling, headache and nause...

Attributes
ACN	400412
Time
Date	199804
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bdl
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	400412
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Prior to the start of descent into bradley international airport, a momentary chemical smell was noticed by the captain and first officer. After block-in, the captain complained of tingling lips, the first officer of a headache and nausea, and the flight engineer of a headache, raspy throat and nausea. Additionally, our air carrier notified us immediately after block-in of an undisclosed hazardous material package. The hazardous material was identified as hydrochloric acid. The package was inspected by air carrier. No obvious leaks of fumes were discovered. The station manager noticed an abnormal smell upon entering the aircraft to discuss our plan of action. The aia operations manager, crew scheduler, hazardous materials specialist, and B-727 fleet manager were notified immediately. We were instructed to have the aircraft downloaded and proceed to the hospital. The bradley international airport authority/authorized was notified. The aircraft and cargo were inspected by the local fire department. The fire department then transported the crew to the hospital. At approximately XA00 the doctor at the hospital notified us that rainbow was discovered. This compound was allegedly contained in the fluid utilized to wash the aircraft windows. The crew was released from the hospital after XC00 and returned to the hotel via taxi. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain reporter had just received current information from his company safety representative who, as reporter says, was a bulldog in dogging maintenance to expedite removal of the rainbow canisters. Their company had been notified in may of 1995 by the FAA to remove the rainbow. But, due to company management changes they had been slow in carrying out the recommendation by the FAA. The canister was leaking which caused the discomfort to the flight crew, but there were no lasting effects.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 ACFT IN CRUISE. CHEMICAL ODOR NOTED BY FLT CREW CAUSING TINGLING, HEADACHE AND NAUSEA OF FLT CREW. POST FLT INSPECTION REVEALED A LEAKING 'RAINBOW' CANISTER IN THE COCKPIT RELEASING TOXIC FUMES.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE START OF DSCNT INTO BRADLEY INTL ARPT, A MOMENTARY CHEMICAL SMELL WAS NOTICED BY THE CAPT AND FO. AFTER BLOCK-IN, THE CAPT COMPLAINED OF TINGLING LIPS, THE FO OF A HEADACHE AND NAUSEA, AND THE FLT ENGINEER OF A HEADACHE, RASPY THROAT AND NAUSEA. ADDITIONALLY, OUR ACR NOTIFIED US IMMEDIATELY AFTER BLOCK-IN OF AN UNDISCLOSED HAZARDOUS MATERIAL PACKAGE. THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL WAS IDENTIFIED AS HYDROCHLORIC ACID. THE PACKAGE WAS INSPECTED BY ACR. NO OBVIOUS LEAKS OF FUMES WERE DISCOVERED. THE STATION MANAGER NOTICED AN ABNORMAL SMELL UPON ENTERING THE ACFT TO DISCUSS OUR PLAN OF ACTION. THE AIA OPERATIONS MANAGER, CREW SCHEDULER, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPECIALIST, AND B-727 FLEET MANAGER WERE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HAVE THE ACFT DOWNLOADED AND PROCEED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE BRADLEY INTL ARPT AUTH WAS NOTIFIED. THE ACFT AND CARGO WERE INSPECTED BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THEN TRANSPORTED THE CREW TO THE HOSPITAL. AT APPROXIMATELY XA00 THE DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL NOTIFIED US THAT RAINBOW WAS DISCOVERED. THIS COMPOUND WAS ALLEGEDLY CONTAINED IN THE FLUID UTILIZED TO WASH THE ACFT WINDOWS. THE CREW WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AFTER XC00 AND RETURNED TO THE HOTEL VIA TAXI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT RPTR HAD JUST RECEIVED CURRENT INFO FROM HIS COMPANY SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE WHO, AS RPTR SAYS, WAS A BULLDOG IN DOGGING MAINT TO EXPEDITE REMOVAL OF THE RAINBOW CANISTERS. THEIR COMPANY HAD BEEN NOTIFIED IN MAY OF 1995 BY THE FAA TO REMOVE THE RAINBOW. BUT, DUE TO COMPANY MANAGEMENT CHANGES THEY HAD BEEN SLOW IN CARRYING OUT THE RECOMMENDATION BY THE FAA. THE CANISTER WAS LEAKING WHICH CAUSED THE DISCOMFORT TO THE FLT CREW, BUT THERE WERE NO LASTING EFFECTS.

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.

B727-200 aircraft in cruise. Chemical odor noted by flight crew causing tingling, headache and nausea of flight crew. Post flight inspection revealed a leaking 'rainbow' canister in the cockpit releasing toxic fumes.