An air carrier flight crew flying a DC10-10 freighter near mem reports fumes in the aircraft from an...

Attributes
ACN	483572
Time
Date	200008
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mem.vortac
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem.tracon tower : mem.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 10
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : other published ifr departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 14277 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	483572
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6300 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	483586
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon finishing up takeoff checklist, I noticed a slight odd odor. Expecting it to be the result of some exterior influence, continued climb. At about 10000 ft, inquired of crew if they noticed the odor. They concurred. We leveled at 14000 ft while the flight engineer checked the possibility it was coming from the catering. With that possibility eliminated and the odor not diminishing, I elected to return to mem. We requested expeditious handling due to unknown fumes and a desire to land. We elected runway 36L due to traffic flow and considerations of checklist execution, and descent, etc. We requested the emergency equipment. Having executed appropriate checklists, a normal landing was accomplished. Clearing the active, elected to stop to open cockpit side window to ventilate the area. As we were opening this window, it was noticed that the concentration of the unknown agent had increased considerably. We elected to secure the aircraft and depart the aircraft. The majority of our problems commenced after we cleared the aircraft. Even though the yellow pouch that contained the hazmat paperwork was presented to the rescue squad, the illegibility of some of the individual 5 part forms failed to satisfy their requirements due to lack of specificity. We were quarantined at the aircraft for an extended period of time, arriving at the hospital approximately 4 hours after egress. Communication with maintenance (our only source of contact) never seemed to reach beyond the source contacted. Aircraft handling was made immeasurably more difficult with the current oxygen mask and goggles. Would urge rapid installation of a quick don oxygen face mask.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING A DC10-10 FREIGHTER NEAR MEM RPTS FUMES IN THE ACFT FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE RESULTING IN THE ACFT RETURN LAND.

Narrative: UPON FINISHING UP TKOF CHKLIST, I NOTICED A SLIGHT ODD ODOR. EXPECTING IT TO BE THE RESULT OF SOME EXTERIOR INFLUENCE, CONTINUED CLB. AT ABOUT 10000 FT, INQUIRED OF CREW IF THEY NOTICED THE ODOR. THEY CONCURRED. WE LEVELED AT 14000 FT WHILE THE FE CHKED THE POSSIBILITY IT WAS COMING FROM THE CATERING. WITH THAT POSSIBILITY ELIMINATED AND THE ODOR NOT DIMINISHING, I ELECTED TO RETURN TO MEM. WE REQUESTED EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING DUE TO UNKNOWN FUMES AND A DESIRE TO LAND. WE ELECTED RWY 36L DUE TO TFC FLOW AND CONSIDERATIONS OF CHKLIST EXECUTION, AND DSCNT, ETC. WE REQUESTED THE EMER EQUIP. HAVING EXECUTED APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS, A NORMAL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. CLRING THE ACTIVE, ELECTED TO STOP TO OPEN COCKPIT SIDE WINDOW TO VENTILATE THE AREA. AS WE WERE OPENING THIS WINDOW, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE CONCENTRATION OF THE UNKNOWN AGENT HAD INCREASED CONSIDERABLY. WE ELECTED TO SECURE THE ACFT AND DEPART THE ACFT. THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROBS COMMENCED AFTER WE CLRED THE ACFT. EVEN THOUGH THE YELLOW POUCH THAT CONTAINED THE HAZMAT PAPERWORK WAS PRESENTED TO THE RESCUE SQUAD, THE ILLEGIBILITY OF SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL 5 PART FORMS FAILED TO SATISFY THEIR REQUIREMENTS DUE TO LACK OF SPECIFICITY. WE WERE QUARANTINED AT THE ACFT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, ARRIVING AT THE HOSPITAL APPROX 4 HRS AFTER EGRESS. COM WITH MAINT (OUR ONLY SOURCE OF CONTACT) NEVER SEEMED TO REACH BEYOND THE SOURCE CONTACTED. ACFT HANDLING WAS MADE IMMEASURABLY MORE DIFFICULT WITH THE CURRENT OXYGEN MASK AND GOGGLES. WOULD URGE RAPID INSTALLATION OF A QUICK DON OXYGEN FACE MASK.

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.

An air carrier flight crew flying a DC10-10 freighter near mem reports fumes in the aircraft from an unknown source resulting in the aircraft return land.