Narrative:

Started selling headsets in the fwd section of mid cabin. I detected an odor similar to bug spray, and made a mental note to advise the #1 flight attendant. I continued selling headsets and was stopped by a passenger. He smelled fuel. I decided to advise the #1. The #1 walked through and also noticed a smell. He called the pilots and the first officer walked through the cabin. He also smelled something and returned to the cockpit. I then stood in the fwd section of mid cabin and asked the passengers if anyone was carrying something in their bags that would produce such an odor. No one moved or responded. I opened several overhead bins on the lhs and didn't notice anything unusual. I walked aft trying to detect the odor back there. When I reached the aft galley I turned around and looked back into coach. I then saw the #4 flight attendant holding something and using the phone at the #3 flight attendant jumpseat. I proceeded through the cabin where the smell was very intense. I saw the bottle in the #4's hand. It was a plastic bottle of bug spray. We retrieved several bags and I assisted her with placing it in the bags. The captain was advised of the discovery whereupon we were advised to return to ZZZ for immediate attention. The cabin air stung my eyes and I also had a difficult time breathing. The firemen checked my vitals and decontaminated my exposed body parts and bagged my personal items. My breathing did not return to 'normal' until the next morning. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the insecticide was in a plastic bottle and was believed to be diocicin or daconvil. The reporter said several passengers and cabin crew were affected with eye and respiratory problems. The reporter said her breathing did not return to normal until the next day. The reporter said the flight attendant who discovered the bottle and herself had to have their exposed body parts decontaminated by the ZZZ fireman. The flight was met by the fbi who talked to the passenger who boarded the insecticide and there appeared to be a language problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B 757-200 IN CRUISE DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LEAKING INSECTICIDE IN PAX CARRY ON LUGGAGE.

Narrative: STARTED SELLING HEADSETS IN THE FWD SECTION OF MID CABIN. I DETECTED AN ODOR SIMILAR TO BUG SPRAY, AND MADE A MENTAL NOTE TO ADVISE THE #1 FA. I CONTINUED SELLING HEADSETS AND WAS STOPPED BY A PAX. HE SMELLED FUEL. I DECIDED TO ADVISE THE #1. THE #1 WALKED THROUGH AND ALSO NOTICED A SMELL. HE CALLED THE PLTS AND THE FO WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN. HE ALSO SMELLED SOMETHING AND RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. I THEN STOOD IN THE FWD SECTION OF MID CABIN AND ASKED THE PASSENGERS IF ANYONE WAS CARRYING SOMETHING IN THEIR BAGS THAT WOULD PRODUCE SUCH AN ODOR. NO ONE MOVED OR RESPONDED. I OPENED SEVERAL OVERHEAD BINS ON THE LHS AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. I WALKED AFT TRYING TO DETECT THE ODOR BACK THERE. WHEN I REACHED THE AFT GALLEY I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED BACK INTO COACH. I THEN SAW THE #4 FA HOLDING SOMETHING AND USING THE PHONE AT THE #3 FA JUMPSEAT. I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE CABIN WHERE THE SMELL WAS VERY INTENSE. I SAW THE BOTTLE IN THE #4'S HAND. IT WAS A PLASTIC BOTTLE OF BUG SPRAY. WE RETRIEVED SEVERAL BAGS AND I ASSISTED HER WITH PLACING IT IN THE BAGS. THE CAPT WAS ADVISED OF THE DISCOVERY WHEREUPON WE WERE ADVISED TO RETURN TO ZZZ FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THE CABIN AIR STUNG MY EYES AND I ALSO HAD A DIFFICULT TIME BREATHING. THE FIREMEN CHKED MY VITALS AND DECONTAMINATED MY EXPOSED BODY PARTS AND BAGGED MY PERSONAL ITEMS. MY BREATHING DID NOT RETURN TO 'NORMAL' UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE INSECTICIDE WAS IN A PLASTIC BOTTLE AND WAS BELIEVED TO BE DIOCICIN OR DACONVIL. THE RPTR SAID SEVERAL PASSENGERS AND CABIN CREW WERE AFFECTED WITH EYE AND RESPIRATORY PROBS. THE RPTR SAID HER BREATHING DID NOT RETURN TO NORMAL UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. THE RPTR SAID THE FA WHO DISCOVERED THE BOTTLE AND HERSELF HAD TO HAVE THEIR EXPOSED BODY PARTS DECONTAMINATED BY THE ZZZ FIREMAN. THE FLT WAS MET BY THE FBI WHO TALKED TO THE PAX WHO BOARDED THE INSECTICIDE AND THERE APPEARED TO BE A LANGUAGE PROBLEM.

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.