Narrative:

In sum: flight crew of B747 noticed foul smell on preflight of aircraft prior to departure. They turned on air conditioning and since the smell appeared to decrease, they accepted the aircraft and began the flight sequence. During the flight, the smell appeared to vary in intensity and the effects on the crew. Upon inquiry of any possibility of hazmat spillage or even carriage of hazmats and their nature, the crew was given erroneous and incomplete information. The air carrier appears either not to be concerned with hazmat procedures or some possibility exists that someone discovered, after the fact, the serious nature of the chemical that was being carried and its effects on the aircraft and crew, thence proceeded to deny or cover-up a disagreeable occurrence. Whatever the cause, the fact remains that 3 flcs were exposed to a spillage of methyl butyric acid as were cargo handling ground personnel, some of which continued their denial of spillage en route to the hospital from breathing the toxic fumes of the spill. At the date of the report, the company has not addressed the serious nature of the spill and of equal importance have not changed the apparent policy of 'if we can't readily find the nature of a carried chemical, it must therefore not be hazardous and is ok to carry as cargo with little or no special handling or notification to the flcs involved.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has had follow-up examination and that his respiratory situation since the incident has improved. He remains unaware about the remainder of the crew. He makes the strong suggestion that an up-to-date hazmat list be provided on every aircraft and kept up-to-date periodically. He further states that the policy of his air carrier 'that if a material does not show on the list as hazardous, it must be ok to carry it as cargo' is grossly erroneous and presents an extremely dangerous situation. He states that a contributing factor is that when out of the continental united states, that saving face and saving one's job is much more common than telling the truth concerning spills and generally hazardous sits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW AFTER THE FACT DISCOVERS THAT THEY ARE THE THIRD CREW TO FLY ACFT AFTER TOXIC SPILL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIAL.

Narrative: IN SUM: FLC OF B747 NOTICED FOUL SMELL ON PREFLT OF ACFT PRIOR TO DEP. THEY TURNED ON AIR CONDITIONING AND SINCE THE SMELL APPEARED TO DECREASE, THEY ACCEPTED THE ACFT AND BEGAN THE FLT SEQUENCE. DURING THE FLT, THE SMELL APPEARED TO VARY IN INTENSITY AND THE EFFECTS ON THE CREW. UPON INQUIRY OF ANY POSSIBILITY OF HAZMAT SPILLAGE OR EVEN CARRIAGE OF HAZMATS AND THEIR NATURE, THE CREW WAS GIVEN ERRONEOUS AND INCOMPLETE INFO. THE ACR APPEARS EITHER NOT TO BE CONCERNED WITH HAZMAT PROCS OR SOME POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT SOMEONE DISCOVERED, AFTER THE FACT, THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE CHEMICAL THAT WAS BEING CARRIED AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE ACFT AND CREW, THENCE PROCEEDED TO DENY OR COVER-UP A DISAGREEABLE OCCURRENCE. WHATEVER THE CAUSE, THE FACT REMAINS THAT 3 FLCS WERE EXPOSED TO A SPILLAGE OF METHYL BUTYRIC ACID AS WERE CARGO HANDLING GND PERSONNEL, SOME OF WHICH CONTINUED THEIR DENIAL OF SPILLAGE ENRTE TO THE HOSPITAL FROM BREATHING THE TOXIC FUMES OF THE SPILL. AT THE DATE OF THE RPT, THE COMPANY HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE SPILL AND OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE HAVE NOT CHANGED THE APPARENT POLICY OF 'IF WE CAN'T READILY FIND THE NATURE OF A CARRIED CHEMICAL, IT MUST THEREFORE NOT BE HAZARDOUS AND IS OK TO CARRY AS CARGO WITH LITTLE OR NO SPECIAL HANDLING OR NOTIFICATION TO THE FLCS INVOLVED.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS HAD FOLLOW-UP EXAM AND THAT HIS RESPIRATORY SIT SINCE THE INCIDENT HAS IMPROVED. HE REMAINS UNAWARE ABOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE CREW. HE MAKES THE STRONG SUGGESTION THAT AN UP-TO-DATE HAZMAT LIST BE PROVIDED ON EVERY ACFT AND KEPT UP-TO-DATE PERIODICALLY. HE FURTHER STATES THAT THE POLICY OF HIS ACR 'THAT IF A MATERIAL DOES NOT SHOW ON THE LIST AS HAZARDOUS, IT MUST BE OK TO CARRY IT AS CARGO' IS GROSSLY ERRONEOUS AND PRESENTS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SIT. HE STATES THAT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT WHEN OUT OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, THAT SAVING FACE AND SAVING ONE'S JOB IS MUCH MORE COMMON THAN TELLING THE TRUTH CONCERNING SPILLS AND GENERALLY HAZARDOUS SITS.

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.