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A B757-200 cabin attendant reports strong smell of jet fuel from aft right lavatory. Attendant became sick with induced hydrocarbon pneumonia.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 578980 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200304 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : pacific |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 4 |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 34 flight attendant time total : 34 flight attendant time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 578980 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | oversight : flight attendant in charge |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Vapors from aft lavatory caused or induced chemical hydrocarbon (pneumonia) on apr/sat/03. At approximately XC00 I smelled a very strong odor like kerosene in aft right lavatory. Purser confirmed and notified captain, who decided to lower altitude to dissipate cabin air. I had severe headache, soar throat, chest tight, cough, sinus pressure, eyes painful and tearing. I became increasingly ill and vomited. Notified manager on duty mrs X and mrs Y. At XA10 on apr/tue/03, saw doctor who took x-ray and drew blood for verification of pneumonia. Poison control suggested above treatment. Upon leaving ZZZ1, a cockpit light did not work. Returned to airport to repair light and took off thereafter. I notified manager on duty at ZZZ1 and filed injury on duty for pneumonia. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the exact cause of the odor is unknown as access to the maintenance history of the airplane is limited to cabin attendants. The reporter said a person at the station where the aircraft was worked overnight said it was cleaning fluid, but did not smell like cleaning fluid. The reporter said one other source said it was a leaking APU fuel line. The reporter stated the company doctor after x-ray and blood samples diagnosed pneumonia.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757-200 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS STRONG SMELL OF JET FUEL FROM AFT R LAVATORY. ATTENDANT BECAME SICK WITH INDUCED HYDROCARBON PNEUMONIA.
Narrative: VAPORS FROM AFT LAVATORY CAUSED OR INDUCED CHEMICAL HYDROCARBON (PNEUMONIA) ON APR/SAT/03. AT APPROX XC00 I SMELLED A VERY STRONG ODOR LIKE KEROSENE IN AFT R LAVATORY. PURSER CONFIRMED AND NOTIFIED CAPT, WHO DECIDED TO LOWER ALT TO DISSIPATE CABIN AIR. I HAD SEVERE HEADACHE, SOAR THROAT, CHEST TIGHT, COUGH, SINUS PRESSURE, EYES PAINFUL AND TEARING. I BECAME INCREASINGLY ILL AND VOMITED. NOTIFIED MGR ON DUTY MRS X AND MRS Y. AT XA10 ON APR/TUE/03, SAW DOCTOR WHO TOOK X-RAY AND DREW BLOOD FOR VERIFICATION OF PNEUMONIA. POISON CTL SUGGESTED ABOVE TREATMENT. UPON LEAVING ZZZ1, A COCKPIT LIGHT DID NOT WORK. RETURNED TO ARPT TO REPAIR LIGHT AND TOOK OFF THEREAFTER. I NOTIFIED MGR ON DUTY AT ZZZ1 AND FILED INJURY ON DUTY FOR PNEUMONIA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ODOR IS UNKNOWN AS ACCESS TO THE MAINT HISTORY OF THE AIRPLANE IS LIMITED TO CABIN ATTENDANTS. THE RPTR SAID A PERSON AT THE STATION WHERE THE ACFT WAS WORKED OVERNIGHT SAID IT WAS CLEANING FLUID, BUT DID NOT SMELL LIKE CLEANING FLUID. THE RPTR SAID ONE OTHER SOURCE SAID IT WAS A LEAKING APU FUEL LINE. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY DOCTOR AFTER X-RAY AND BLOOD SAMPLES DIAGNOSED PNEUMONIA.
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.