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B737 flight attendant reported an acetone smell in the aft cabin. The flight attendants in the aft cabin reported illness.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 564359 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200210 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zma.artcc |
| 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 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change descent : approach |
| 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 : 33 flight attendant time total : 33 flight attendant time type : 90 |
| ASRS Report | 564359 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : 1-2 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance FAA Cabin Crew Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
About 30 mins from landing, flight attendant #4 and myself (flight attendant #2), coach cabin, were not feeling well. We were dizzy, had a headache, sore throat, sinus and ear pressure. We asked flight attendants #1 and #3, and they were not feeling well either. Flight attendant #1 called the cockpit and asked if the pressure was ok. About 5 seconds later, the captain called to ask if we could smell an acetone odor in the cabin. Flight attendant #3 said he could, around row 23. We couldn't smell it in the back because we were stuffed up. The cockpit was getting whiffs of acetone up there. The captain called back right before landing to tell us that we had bio-hazmat in cargo and that he had declared an emergency. He said to be prepared for anything. On landing, we were met by fire engines, but we proceeded to the gate without incident. Flight attendant and ground supervisor met us and flight attendant #1 was removed from the trip. Cargo supervisor came on board to see exactly what had happened and if we could still smell it. When catering came on and opened the door, we immediately started to feel better.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED AN ACETONE SMELL IN THE AFT CABIN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT CABIN RPTED ILLNESS.
Narrative: ABOUT 30 MINS FROM LNDG, FLT ATTENDANT #4 AND MYSELF (FLT ATTENDANT #2), COACH CABIN, WERE NOT FEELING WELL. WE WERE DIZZY, HAD A HEADACHE, SORE THROAT, SINUS AND EAR PRESSURE. WE ASKED FLT ATTENDANTS #1 AND #3, AND THEY WERE NOT FEELING WELL EITHER. FLT ATTENDANT #1 CALLED THE COCKPIT AND ASKED IF THE PRESSURE WAS OK. ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER, THE CAPT CALLED TO ASK IF WE COULD SMELL AN ACETONE ODOR IN THE CABIN. FLT ATTENDANT #3 SAID HE COULD, AROUND ROW 23. WE COULDN'T SMELL IT IN THE BACK BECAUSE WE WERE STUFFED UP. THE COCKPIT WAS GETTING WHIFFS OF ACETONE UP THERE. THE CAPT CALLED BACK RIGHT BEFORE LNDG TO TELL US THAT WE HAD BIO-HAZMAT IN CARGO AND THAT HE HAD DECLARED AN EMER. HE SAID TO BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING. ON LNDG, WE WERE MET BY FIRE ENGS, BUT WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. FLT ATTENDANT AND GND SUPVR MET US AND FLT ATTENDANT #1 WAS REMOVED FROM THE TRIP. CARGO SUPVR CAME ON BOARD TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND IF WE COULD STILL SMELL IT. WHEN CATERING CAME ON AND OPENED THE DOOR, WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO FEEL BETTER.
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.