Fumes in cabin of a DC9-30 over crl VOR mandates the flight crew to divert to mke, wi.

Attributes
ACN	544954
Time
Date	200204
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : crl.vortac
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 156 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	544954
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event : passenger illness cabin event other maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : cab 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Approximately 1 hour after takeoff from dca, in the vicinity of crl VOR, #1 flight attendant reported a chemical smell in the cabin. After investigating and not finding the source of the odor, I decided to divert to mke as a precaution. During the descent, the smell became stronger. I declared an emergency with center, directed the first officer to drop the oxygen masks, and requested medical help at mke. We made an uneventful landing at mke and deplaned the passenger to the waiting paramedics. Good CRM and crew communication resulted in this incident coming to successful close. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain stated that he had gone back in order to determine the source of the fumes that were making some passenger feel ill, light-headed and nauseous. Everyone could detect the fumes but not the source. The captain thought that a carry-on bag was to blame but not so. The fire department met the flight in mke and used an electronic 'sniffer' to trace the source but without success. The PIC alleged that the company has used a new cleaner on the interior carpeting that may be the source of the fumes. The aircraft was pulled OTS until the next day as was the crew. The passenger were boarded on another aircraft right away and departed. The reporter filed a report with the company safety department.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUMES IN CABIN OF A DC9-30 OVER CRL VOR MANDATES THE FLC TO DIVERT TO MKE, WI.

Narrative: APPROX 1 HR AFTER TKOF FROM DCA, IN THE VICINITY OF CRL VOR, #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED A CHEMICAL SMELL IN THE CABIN. AFTER INVESTIGATING AND NOT FINDING THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR, I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO MKE AS A PRECAUTION. DURING THE DSCNT, THE SMELL BECAME STRONGER. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR, DIRECTED THE FO TO DROP THE OXYGEN MASKS, AND REQUESTED MEDICAL HELP AT MKE. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT MKE AND DEPLANED THE PAX TO THE WAITING PARAMEDICS. GOOD CRM AND CREW COM RESULTED IN THIS INCIDENT COMING TO SUCCESSFUL CLOSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT STATED THAT HE HAD GONE BACK IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES THAT WERE MAKING SOME PAX FEEL ILL, LIGHT-HEADED AND NAUSEOUS. EVERYONE COULD DETECT THE FUMES BUT NOT THE SOURCE. THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT A CARRY-ON BAG WAS TO BLAME BUT NOT SO. THE FIRE DEPT MET THE FLT IN MKE AND USED AN ELECTRONIC 'SNIFFER' TO TRACE THE SOURCE BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE PIC ALLEGED THAT THE COMPANY HAS USED A NEW CLEANER ON THE INTERIOR CARPETING THAT MAY BE THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES. THE ACFT WAS PULLED OTS UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AS WAS THE CREW. THE PAX WERE BOARDED ON ANOTHER ACFT RIGHT AWAY AND DEPARTED. THE RPTR FILED A RPT WITH THE COMPANY SAFETY DEPT.

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.