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During boarding fumes were reported and said to be from plastic wrap. In-flight fumes continued causing illness in both passenger and cabin crew. An electrical problem is determined to be the cause.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 560379 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Thu |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zoa.artcc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 15 flight attendant time total : 15 |
| ASRS Report | 560379 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger illness cabin event other maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other other : cab 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During boarding, I smelled heavy substance around the mid-galley. I told a mechanic. He told me it was the plastic wrap that the pillows and blankets were wrapped in. I told him in all my yrs flying, no plane ever smelled this strong or thick. During flight, the smell would carry back at least 5 rows of the galley and then move forward of the galley. The smell gave me a headache and my eyes and nose would run. My eyes felt like they were burning and also the back of my throat felt itchy. I felt nauseous. A passenger threw-up all over the mid-galley area. I was cleaning up the galley when the lights flickered and dimmed up and down. I did not notice this as I was cleaning and focusing on the galley. When I finished, the #2 flight attendant told me about the electrical problem. We changed aircraft in hnl and I noticed my nose was not running and my eyes stopped burning, however, my throat felt raw and itchy for a day or two after the flight. I remember the mechanic mentioning it (the smell) was from the vcr compartment and I said it was all over the galley area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING BOARDING FUMES WERE RPTED AND SAID TO BE FROM PLASTIC WRAP. INFLT FUMES CONTINUED CAUSING ILLNESS IN BOTH PAX AND CABIN CREW. AN ELECTRICAL PROB IS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE.
Narrative: DURING BOARDING, I SMELLED HVY SUBSTANCE AROUND THE MID-GALLEY. I TOLD A MECH. HE TOLD ME IT WAS THE PLASTIC WRAP THAT THE PILLOWS AND BLANKETS WERE WRAPPED IN. I TOLD HIM IN ALL MY YRS FLYING, NO PLANE EVER SMELLED THIS STRONG OR THICK. DURING FLT, THE SMELL WOULD CARRY BACK AT LEAST 5 ROWS OF THE GALLEY AND THEN MOVE FORWARD OF THE GALLEY. THE SMELL GAVE ME A HEADACHE AND MY EYES AND NOSE WOULD RUN. MY EYES FELT LIKE THEY WERE BURNING AND ALSO THE BACK OF MY THROAT FELT ITCHY. I FELT NAUSEOUS. A PAX THREW-UP ALL OVER THE MID-GALLEY AREA. I WAS CLEANING UP THE GALLEY WHEN THE LIGHTS FLICKERED AND DIMMED UP AND DOWN. I DID NOT NOTICE THIS AS I WAS CLEANING AND FOCUSING ON THE GALLEY. WHEN I FINISHED, THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL PROB. WE CHANGED ACFT IN HNL AND I NOTICED MY NOSE WAS NOT RUNNING AND MY EYES STOPPED BURNING, HOWEVER, MY THROAT FELT RAW AND ITCHY FOR A DAY OR TWO AFTER THE FLT. I REMEMBER THE MECH MENTIONING IT (THE SMELL) WAS FROM THE VCR COMPARTMENT AND I SAID IT WAS ALL OVER THE GALLEY AREA.
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.