Narrative:

Inhalation of unknown substance on arrival into lga. Both captain and first officer developed headache, nausea and irritation in throat. Noted an unusual odor/smell. Crew mask was donned for remainder of flight. The cabin was checked for smell/smoke, none was found. Continued flight to lga, landing without incident. Both captain and first officer sought medical attention at hospital due to symptoms listed below: headaches, dry irritated throat, nausea, sick to stomach, burning eyes/watery eyes, blurred vision, running nose, frequent coughing, both first officer and captain had very pale color. Everyone at lga including ramp personnel noted the conditions and had said we both looked bad. Note: substance still unknown as of apr/wed/98. Possibly an electrical system related problem? Substance smell limited to forward galley and cockpit. Affected only #1 flight attendant (who had slight headache), and captain and first officer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the fumes were not from carbon monoxide, but from the melting of insulating plastic type material, such as an electrical transformer. Even though the aircraft was carefully inspected and nothing unusual noted, it is suspected that the fumes were coming from an overheated transformer behind the right cockpit wall. He was advised that fumes from this area would stay nearby and any smoke would circulate to the rear of the aircraft. He further stated that the only thing helpful to be done in the future is to don oxygen masks at the first indication of illness. This was done for the balance of the trip which saved them and their passenger from a possible serious incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC AND ONE CABIN ATTENDANT BECAME NAUSEATED AND SICK AT CRUISE, JUST PRIOR TO DSNDING, AND DONNED OXYGEN MASKS FOR THE DSCNT AND LNDG DUE TO AN UNEXPLAINED ODOR. THE SICKNESS PERSISTED THROUGH ARR, CAUSING THEM TO SEEK TREATMENT AT A HOSPITAL. THE ACFT WAS CHKED BUT NO ABNORMALITIES FOUND.

Narrative: INHALATION OF UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE ON ARR INTO LGA. BOTH CAPT AND FO DEVELOPED HEADACHE, NAUSEA AND IRRITATION IN THROAT. NOTED AN UNUSUAL ODOR/SMELL. CREW MASK WAS DONNED FOR REMAINDER OF FLT. THE CABIN WAS CHKED FOR SMELL/SMOKE, NONE WAS FOUND. CONTINUED FLT TO LGA, LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. BOTH CAPT AND FO SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTN AT HOSPITAL DUE TO SYMPTOMS LISTED BELOW: HEADACHES, DRY IRRITATED THROAT, NAUSEA, SICK TO STOMACH, BURNING EYES/WATERY EYES, BLURRED VISION, RUNNING NOSE, FREQUENT COUGHING, BOTH FO AND CAPT HAD VERY PALE COLOR. EVERYONE AT LGA INCLUDING RAMP PERSONNEL NOTED THE CONDITIONS AND HAD SAID WE BOTH LOOKED BAD. NOTE: SUBSTANCE STILL UNKNOWN AS OF APR/WED/98. POSSIBLY AN ELECTRICAL SYS RELATED PROB? SUBSTANCE SMELL LIMITED TO FORWARD GALLEY AND COCKPIT. AFFECTED ONLY #1 FLT ATTENDANT (WHO HAD SLIGHT HEADACHE), AND CAPT AND FO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FUMES WERE NOT FROM CARBON MONOXIDE, BUT FROM THE MELTING OF INSULATING PLASTIC TYPE MATERIAL, SUCH AS AN ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER. EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT WAS CAREFULLY INSPECTED AND NOTHING UNUSUAL NOTED, IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE FUMES WERE COMING FROM AN OVERHEATED TRANSFORMER BEHIND THE R COCKPIT WALL. HE WAS ADVISED THAT FUMES FROM THIS AREA WOULD STAY NEARBY AND ANY SMOKE WOULD CIRCULATE TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE ONLY THING HELPFUL TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE IS TO DON OXYGEN MASKS AT THE FIRST INDICATION OF ILLNESS. THIS WAS DONE FOR THE BAL OF THE TRIP WHICH SAVED THEM AND THEIR PAX FROM A POSSIBLE SERIOUS INCIDENT.

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.