Narrative:

Routine flight from pbi-ewr on jun/wed/98, in B727-200. Proceeding up AR7 at FL290, first class flight attendant advised me of a 'gasoline' type odor coming from the forward first class lavatory. I was about to go back and confirm the smell when the 3 flight attendants called from the back galley and observed a strong 'gasoline' type smell from the two aft lavatories. Not knowing what we had (who would honestly believe 100LL AVGAS could be pumped into lavatories as lavatory fluid), we took the necessary precautions anyway. I pulled the circuit breakers for the 3 flush motors, hot water heaters and shaver outlets. I decided to leave the fluorescent lights operating so no one would flick their bic lighter for light. I called our operations at jax for them to call pbi operations to see what was in that lavatory truck that svced us. Was it some type of additive or was it actually gasoline? Approximately 20-25 mins elapsed by the time pbi operations could contact maintenance and confirm contents of lavatory truck. By then, we were communicating with rdu operations and were advised it was, in fact, 100LL AVGAS, not the type of 'blue fluid' I was expecting in my lavatories. Within mins, we were SELCAL'ed by dispatch and advised to divert to nearest field immediately. We diverted to bwi and flight ended uneventful. Maintenance flushed all 3 lavatories 3 times to purge system and we continued to ewr. For follow up, I had a debrief with maintenance control. The lavatory truck was topped off with blue fluid earlier that day. The blue fluid was 100LL AVGAS, not lavatory fluid, however. We were the 13TH aircraft (lucky 13!) to be svced from that truck. The first 12 received pure lavatory fluid because the 100LL AVGAS, being lighter than water based lavatory fluid, floated on top. Since the truck's pumps suck from the bottom, they were not affected. We weren't so lucky. Our forward lavatory received a mixture of lavatory fluid/100LL AVGAS, but the aft lavatories got the 100LL AVGAS, so volatile that someone brushing their hair in our aft lavatories could have set off the fumes with the static discharge! I was advised later that we also had a breach of security at pbi where a passenger for our flight was picked up at security check point with 142 rounds of ammunition and 2 machetes with a one way ticket. This stuff happens to a pilot with odds of 1 in a 100 in a lifetime, never mind two events on the same flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter's flight was airborne about 40 mins before gas odor was reported by flight attendant. All 3 of flight crew were in disbelief of report. So went back to investigate and verified, cabin attendant report was correct. Reporter took aircraft into bwi where FAA drained the lavatories into 55 gal drums for investigation. The lavatory service truck in pbi was impounded. The first class cabin lavatory was svced first and did not receive much AVGAS. The aft lavatories hold 15 gals each and both received a higher percentage of AVGAS. It is not known how the AVGAS came to be boarded. What the reporter knows is the truck was sent to obtain a load of 'blue fluid,' this is common terminology for the fluid. Truck driver was employed as a subcontractor and most all ramp service personnel are of low experience. It is not certain, but is felt that the truck driver loaded AVGAS because it is blue. Then, realizing mistake, loaded truck up with blue lavatory fluid. Reviewing with maintenance, it was stated that anyone entering the blue room and causing any static spark could set off an explosion. The passenger load was light with only 40 passenger, and none had entered the lavatory rooms during the flight. Because the flight was late, everyone was tired and went to sleep. In this regard the reporter feels lucky, because no one ever had an opportunity to test the volatility of the fumes. With the lavatory rooms locked OTS, dispatch called and asked the flight crew to land immediately to reduce any further exposure to the fumes. Aircraft landed, was svced 3 times to purge any fumes, then departed on to original destination. Reporter felt this could be another scenario to have an airborne explosion. Reporter further stated that how this happened, still has not been determined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 HAS ITS LAVATORY TANKS SVCED WITH 100LL AVIATION GAS. FLT ATTENDANTS RPT ODOR OF GAS TO FLC AND THE ACFT IS DIVERTED INTO BWI.

Narrative: ROUTINE FLT FROM PBI-EWR ON JUN/WED/98, IN B727-200. PROCEEDING UP AR7 AT FL290, FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED ME OF A 'GASOLINE' TYPE ODOR COMING FROM THE FORWARD FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. I WAS ABOUT TO GO BACK AND CONFIRM THE SMELL WHEN THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED FROM THE BACK GALLEY AND OBSERVED A STRONG 'GASOLINE' TYPE SMELL FROM THE TWO AFT LAVATORIES. NOT KNOWING WHAT WE HAD (WHO WOULD HONESTLY BELIEVE 100LL AVGAS COULD BE PUMPED INTO LAVATORIES AS LAVATORY FLUID), WE TOOK THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS ANYWAY. I PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR THE 3 FLUSH MOTORS, HOT WATER HEATERS AND SHAVER OUTLETS. I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE FLUORESCENT LIGHTS OPERATING SO NO ONE WOULD FLICK THEIR BIC LIGHTER FOR LIGHT. I CALLED OUR OPS AT JAX FOR THEM TO CALL PBI OPS TO SEE WHAT WAS IN THAT LAVATORY TRUCK THAT SVCED US. WAS IT SOME TYPE OF ADDITIVE OR WAS IT ACTUALLY GASOLINE? APPROX 20-25 MINS ELAPSED BY THE TIME PBI OPS COULD CONTACT MAINT AND CONFIRM CONTENTS OF LAVATORY TRUCK. BY THEN, WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH RDU OPS AND WERE ADVISED IT WAS, IN FACT, 100LL AVGAS, NOT THE TYPE OF 'BLUE FLUID' I WAS EXPECTING IN MY LAVATORIES. WITHIN MINS, WE WERE SELCAL'ED BY DISPATCH AND ADVISED TO DIVERT TO NEAREST FIELD IMMEDIATELY. WE DIVERTED TO BWI AND FLT ENDED UNEVENTFUL. MAINT FLUSHED ALL 3 LAVATORIES 3 TIMES TO PURGE SYS AND WE CONTINUED TO EWR. FOR FOLLOW UP, I HAD A DEBRIEF WITH MAINT CTL. THE LAVATORY TRUCK WAS TOPPED OFF WITH BLUE FLUID EARLIER THAT DAY. THE BLUE FLUID WAS 100LL AVGAS, NOT LAVATORY FLUID, HOWEVER. WE WERE THE 13TH ACFT (LUCKY 13!) TO BE SVCED FROM THAT TRUCK. THE FIRST 12 RECEIVED PURE LAVATORY FLUID BECAUSE THE 100LL AVGAS, BEING LIGHTER THAN WATER BASED LAVATORY FLUID, FLOATED ON TOP. SINCE THE TRUCK'S PUMPS SUCK FROM THE BOTTOM, THEY WERE NOT AFFECTED. WE WEREN'T SO LUCKY. OUR FORWARD LAVATORY RECEIVED A MIXTURE OF LAVATORY FLUID/100LL AVGAS, BUT THE AFT LAVATORIES GOT THE 100LL AVGAS, SO VOLATILE THAT SOMEONE BRUSHING THEIR HAIR IN OUR AFT LAVATORIES COULD HAVE SET OFF THE FUMES WITH THE STATIC DISCHARGE! I WAS ADVISED LATER THAT WE ALSO HAD A BREACH OF SECURITY AT PBI WHERE A PAX FOR OUR FLT WAS PICKED UP AT SECURITY CHK POINT WITH 142 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION AND 2 MACHETES WITH A ONE WAY TICKET. THIS STUFF HAPPENS TO A PLT WITH ODDS OF 1 IN A 100 IN A LIFETIME, NEVER MIND TWO EVENTS ON THE SAME FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR'S FLT WAS AIRBORNE ABOUT 40 MINS BEFORE GAS ODOR WAS RPTED BY FLT ATTENDANT. ALL 3 OF FLC WERE IN DISBELIEF OF RPT. SO WENT BACK TO INVESTIGATE AND VERIFIED, CABIN ATTENDANT RPT WAS CORRECT. RPTR TOOK ACFT INTO BWI WHERE FAA DRAINED THE LAVATORIES INTO 55 GAL DRUMS FOR INVESTIGATION. THE LAVATORY SVC TRUCK IN PBI WAS IMPOUNDED. THE FIRST CLASS CABIN LAVATORY WAS SVCED FIRST AND DID NOT RECEIVE MUCH AVGAS. THE AFT LAVATORIES HOLD 15 GALS EACH AND BOTH RECEIVED A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF AVGAS. IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW THE AVGAS CAME TO BE BOARDED. WHAT THE RPTR KNOWS IS THE TRUCK WAS SENT TO OBTAIN A LOAD OF 'BLUE FLUID,' THIS IS COMMON TERMINOLOGY FOR THE FLUID. TRUCK DRIVER WAS EMPLOYED AS A SUBCONTRACTOR AND MOST ALL RAMP SVC PERSONNEL ARE OF LOW EXPERIENCE. IT IS NOT CERTAIN, BUT IS FELT THAT THE TRUCK DRIVER LOADED AVGAS BECAUSE IT IS BLUE. THEN, REALIZING MISTAKE, LOADED TRUCK UP WITH BLUE LAVATORY FLUID. REVIEWING WITH MAINT, IT WAS STATED THAT ANYONE ENTERING THE BLUE ROOM AND CAUSING ANY STATIC SPARK COULD SET OFF AN EXPLOSION. THE PAX LOAD WAS LIGHT WITH ONLY 40 PAX, AND NONE HAD ENTERED THE LAVATORY ROOMS DURING THE FLT. BECAUSE THE FLT WAS LATE, EVERYONE WAS TIRED AND WENT TO SLEEP. IN THIS REGARD THE RPTR FEELS LUCKY, BECAUSE NO ONE EVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEST THE VOLATILITY OF THE FUMES. WITH THE LAVATORY ROOMS LOCKED OTS, DISPATCH CALLED AND ASKED THE FLC TO LAND IMMEDIATELY TO REDUCE ANY FURTHER EXPOSURE TO THE FUMES. ACFT LANDED, WAS SVCED 3 TIMES TO PURGE ANY FUMES, THEN DEPARTED ON TO ORIGINAL DEST. RPTR FELT THIS COULD BE ANOTHER SCENARIO TO HAVE AN AIRBORNE EXPLOSION. RPTR FURTHER STATED THAT HOW THIS HAPPENED, STILL HAS NOT BEEN 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.