Narrative:

After reaching cruise altitude (FL370) the flight engineer (wxx yyz) proceeded with a cargo check. Upon returning up the right side of main deck, pallet position fr, he noticed a strong odor emitting from the pallet. The smell was similar to paint thinner. After further investigation by the load master and flight mechanic, a 1 gal can of paint/glue or whatever was found. The can was dented, wet and somewhat concealed in a plastic bag found in a box on the pallet. No hazmat paperwork was given to the crew from advance cargo and the crew assumed no hazmat onboard. The captain (wxx abc) went to investigate and detected a very strong odor at the bottom of the crew stairs. A decision was made to return to miami, because of an undeclared hazmat situation. Miami operations and jfk dispatch was notified of the situation and the decision to return to miami. ZMA was notified of the possible hazmat situation and no emergency was declared. The load master and flight mechanic felt dizzy and light-headed and was put on oxygen for approximately 30 mins. Medical team checked them after arrival and found them ok. Landing was uneventful and emergency response teams met the aircraft at the gate. Emergency response teams decided the 1 can was not enough to cause such a heavy fume smell, so all cargo was downloaded and broken down for further investigation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the return to mia was uneventful and a normal landing was made. The reporter said the emergency response team was advised of the leaking gallon can and ordered the aircraft be unloaded and the pallets broken down. The reporter said because the fumes were too heavy and strong the emergency response team believed something else was onboard and not reported. The reporter stated no one advised the crew of the findings after the cargo was unloaded. The reporter said no hazmat documents were given to the crew prior to departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 FREIGHTER IN CRUISE AT FL370 DIVERTED DUE TO A STRONG ODOR OF PAINT THINNER CAUSED BY A DENTED WET GALLON CAN.

Narrative: AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT (FL370) THE FE (WXX YYZ) PROCEEDED WITH A CARGO CHK. UPON RETURNING UP THE R SIDE OF MAIN DECK, PALLET POS FR, HE NOTICED A STRONG ODOR EMITTING FROM THE PALLET. THE SMELL WAS SIMILAR TO PAINT THINNER. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE LOAD MASTER AND FLT MECH, A 1 GAL CAN OF PAINT/GLUE OR WHATEVER WAS FOUND. THE CAN WAS DENTED, WET AND SOMEWHAT CONCEALED IN A PLASTIC BAG FOUND IN A BOX ON THE PALLET. NO HAZMAT PAPERWORK WAS GIVEN TO THE CREW FROM ADVANCE CARGO AND THE CREW ASSUMED NO HAZMAT ONBOARD. THE CAPT (WXX ABC) WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND DETECTED A VERY STRONG ODOR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CREW STAIRS. A DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO MIAMI, BECAUSE OF AN UNDECLARED HAZMAT SIT. MIAMI OPS AND JFK DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SIT AND THE DECISION TO RETURN TO MIAMI. ZMA WAS NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBLE HAZMAT SIT AND NO EMER WAS DECLARED. THE LOAD MASTER AND FLT MECH FELT DIZZY AND LIGHT-HEADED AND WAS PUT ON OXYGEN FOR APPROX 30 MINS. MEDICAL TEAM CHKED THEM AFTER ARR AND FOUND THEM OK. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND EMER RESPONSE TEAMS MET THE ACFT AT THE GATE. EMER RESPONSE TEAMS DECIDED THE 1 CAN WAS NOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE SUCH A HVY FUME SMELL, SO ALL CARGO WAS DOWNLOADED AND BROKEN DOWN FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE RETURN TO MIA WAS UNEVENTFUL AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. THE RPTR SAID THE EMER RESPONSE TEAM WAS ADVISED OF THE LEAKING GALLON CAN AND ORDERED THE ACFT BE UNLOADED AND THE PALLETS BROKEN DOWN. THE RPTR SAID BECAUSE THE FUMES WERE TOO HVY AND STRONG THE EMER RESPONSE TEAM BELIEVED SOMETHING ELSE WAS ONBOARD AND NOT RPTED. THE RPTR STATED NO ONE ADVISED THE CREW OF THE FINDINGS AFTER THE CARGO WAS UNLOADED. THE RPTR SAID NO HAZMAT DOCUMENTS WERE GIVEN TO THE CREW PRIOR TO DEP.

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.