Narrative:

This is a follow-up to a debrief submitted by captain concerning this flight 2 weeks ago. During takeoff, there was a strange odor in both the cabin and cockpit. The flight attendants reported to us this fact, and that some initially thought it smelled like something burning. Although it did not smell like something burning to the captain and I, but rather smelled more like natural gas or propane, our initial response was to stop the climb and prepare to return to the field. However, the smell quickly disappeared, and we were able to continue to ZZZ. The following week, flying the same trip, on takeoff from den, we had the same odor in the aircraft. Today during preflight, I asked ground workers and operations personnel if they knew what could be causing this smell. They told me that there was a nearby petroleum refinery and that when the wind blows in a certain direction, it is not uncommon to smell a petroleum smell similar to natural gas. This odor seems to be stronger when it is drawn through the packs during takeoff. Sure enough, we had the same odor in the aircraft today. I think it may be in order to attach some sort of message to flight plans departing den advising of this odor to avoid unnecessary returns to the field and maintenance on aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FO, FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE PETROLEUM SMELL HE HAD DETECTED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE DURING DEP FROM DEN WAS FROM A NEARBY PETROLEUM REFINERY.

Narrative: THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO A DEBRIEF SUBMITTED BY CAPT CONCERNING THIS FLT 2 WKS AGO. DURING TKOF, THERE WAS A STRANGE ODOR IN BOTH THE CABIN AND COCKPIT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED TO US THIS FACT, AND THAT SOME INITIALLY THOUGHT IT SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING BURNING. ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT SMELL LIKE SOMETHING BURNING TO THE CAPT AND I, BUT RATHER SMELLED MORE LIKE NATURAL GAS OR PROPANE, OUR INITIAL RESPONSE WAS TO STOP THE CLB AND PREPARE TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. HOWEVER, THE SMELL QUICKLY DISAPPEARED, AND WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ. THE FOLLOWING WK, FLYING THE SAME TRIP, ON TKOF FROM DEN, WE HAD THE SAME ODOR IN THE ACFT. TODAY DURING PREFLT, I ASKED GND WORKERS AND OPS PERSONNEL IF THEY KNEW WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS SMELL. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A NEARBY PETROLEUM REFINERY AND THAT WHEN THE WIND BLOWS IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO SMELL A PETROLEUM SMELL SIMILAR TO NATURAL GAS. THIS ODOR SEEMS TO BE STRONGER WHEN IT IS DRAWN THROUGH THE PACKS DURING TKOF. SURE ENOUGH, WE HAD THE SAME ODOR IN THE ACFT TODAY. I THINK IT MAY BE IN ORDER TO ATTACH SOME SORT OF MESSAGE TO FLT PLANS DEPARTING DEN ADVISING OF THIS ODOR TO AVOID UNNECESSARY RETURNS TO THE FIELD AND MAINT ON ACFT.

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.