Narrative:

During the descent into bna, the flight attendant called the cockpit to advise the crew of an odor in the cabin. She said it was real strong and she had looked for a possible fuel leak. At this time we have no knowledge of any passenger noticing the odor. After an uneventful landing, the crew was able to find the odor coming from the air conditioning system. It was the same aircraft with the same chemical odor that the captain had experienced the previous week. This crew did not fly the plane again, however, the exposure during the period on the ground has caused all crew members to experience side effects requiring medical attention. To our knowledge there have been no complaints from passenger becoming ill. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is a second report regarding this same aircraft. She knows of at least 7 other write-ups and there may be many incidents that were not written up. The odor is a chemical smell that may be oil decomposing or hydraulic fluid, both of which give off toxic fumes. The entire aircraft smelled, both cabin and cockpit. The oil can decompose to a point of giving off CO2 and many of the other flcs who flew that particular aircraft have since stated that they were extremely fatigued after their flts. The odor was present, but not as strong as it became later. The cabin attendant appeared to be 'wired' or 'high' and it was difficult to get her to agree to go to the hospital with the flight crew. Company wanted them to ferry the aircraft to maintenance. The flight crew refused and went for medical attention instead. Reporter lost her voice for about 1 week and all complained that it felt like they were swallowing something. There were definite symptoms of upper respiratory problems. Unfortunately no one consulted a toxicologist. After many visits to maintenance the engine was changed and there seems to be no more problems with that aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW HAS RESPIRATORY PROBS AND LOSS OF VOICE AFTER FLT IN A CL65 IN WHICH CHEMICAL ODOR WAS SMELLED THROUGHOUT THE ACFT.

Narrative: DURING THE DSCNT INTO BNA, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT TO ADVISE THE CREW OF AN ODOR IN THE CABIN. SHE SAID IT WAS REAL STRONG AND SHE HAD LOOKED FOR A POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY PAX NOTICING THE ODOR. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG, THE CREW WAS ABLE TO FIND THE ODOR COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. IT WAS THE SAME ACFT WITH THE SAME CHEMICAL ODOR THAT THE CAPT HAD EXPERIENCED THE PREVIOUS WK. THIS CREW DID NOT FLY THE PLANE AGAIN, HOWEVER, THE EXPOSURE DURING THE PERIOD ON THE GND HAS CAUSED ALL CREW MEMBERS TO EXPERIENCE SIDE EFFECTS REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTN. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THERE HAVE BEEN NO COMPLAINTS FROM PAX BECOMING ILL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS A SECOND RPT REGARDING THIS SAME ACFT. SHE KNOWS OF AT LEAST 7 OTHER WRITE-UPS AND THERE MAY BE MANY INCIDENTS THAT WERE NOT WRITTEN UP. THE ODOR IS A CHEMICAL SMELL THAT MAY BE OIL DECOMPOSING OR HYD FLUID, BOTH OF WHICH GIVE OFF TOXIC FUMES. THE ENTIRE ACFT SMELLED, BOTH CABIN AND COCKPIT. THE OIL CAN DECOMPOSE TO A POINT OF GIVING OFF CO2 AND MANY OF THE OTHER FLCS WHO FLEW THAT PARTICULAR ACFT HAVE SINCE STATED THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY FATIGUED AFTER THEIR FLTS. THE ODOR WAS PRESENT, BUT NOT AS STRONG AS IT BECAME LATER. THE CABIN ATTENDANT APPEARED TO BE 'WIRED' OR 'HIGH' AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET HER TO AGREE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL WITH THE FLC. COMPANY WANTED THEM TO FERRY THE ACFT TO MAINT. THE FLC REFUSED AND WENT FOR MEDICAL ATTN INSTEAD. RPTR LOST HER VOICE FOR ABOUT 1 WK AND ALL COMPLAINED THAT IT FELT LIKE THEY WERE SWALLOWING SOMETHING. THERE WERE DEFINITE SYMPTOMS OF UPPER RESPIRATORY PROBS. UNFORTUNATELY NO ONE CONSULTED A TOXICOLOGIST. AFTER MANY VISITS TO MAINT THE ENG WAS CHANGED AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO MORE PROBS WITH THAT ACFT.

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.