<< >> NASA ASRS Report 535887, January 2002

B737 flight crew declared an emergency in descent and landing at destination airport due to a gasoline smell in the cabin by the passenger and cabin crew.

Attributes
ACN	535887
Time
Date	200201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : vrb.vortac
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	535887
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3 cab, 4 pax
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Approaching leveloff, #1 flight attendant informed me of very strong gasoline odor in cabin. Odor was located on right side from overwing exit area spreading forward to aft rows of first class. Odor very strong and noticed by passenger as well. Flight attendants opened and sniffed all carry-on baggage and most passenger in effort to locate source. No source located. I attempted to vent the odor/fumes by bumping cabin altitude. This was ineffective. Relayed situation to dispatch desk which advised mia. Declared emergency and priority handling. Landed mia without incident. Maintenance unable to locate source and no scent in baggage bins when opened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC DECLARED AN EMER IN DSCNT AND LNDG AT DEST ARPT DUE TO A GASOLINE SMELL IN THE CABIN BY THE PAX AND CABIN CREW.

Narrative: APCHING LEVELOFF, #1 FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME OF VERY STRONG GASOLINE ODOR IN CABIN. ODOR WAS LOCATED ON R SIDE FROM OVERWING EXIT AREA SPREADING FORWARD TO AFT ROWS OF FIRST CLASS. ODOR VERY STRONG AND NOTICED BY PAX AS WELL. FLT ATTENDANTS OPENED AND SNIFFED ALL CARRY-ON BAGGAGE AND MOST PAX IN EFFORT TO LOCATE SOURCE. NO SOURCE LOCATED. I ATTEMPTED TO VENT THE ODOR/FUMES BY BUMPING CABIN ALT. THIS WAS INEFFECTIVE. RELAYED SIT TO DISPATCH DESK WHICH ADVISED MIA. DECLARED EMER AND PRIORITY HANDLING. LANDED MIA WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINT UNABLE TO LOCATE SOURCE AND NO SCENT IN BAGGAGE BINS WHEN OPENED.

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.