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A chemical smell and fumes emanating from the aft galley of a B737 after landing incapacitates 2 flight attendants.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 652387 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200502 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mggt.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mggt.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5 |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 18 flight attendant time total : 18 |
| ASRS Report | 652387 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event other non adherence : published procedure other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
On landing; the aft galley was filled with a chemical gas smell; ie; bleach/ammonia. My eyes were burning and I was having trouble breathing. I asked the #4 flight attendant if it was hazy. She said yes. She ran in lavatory; I grabbed oxygen in back. #4 called captain. I got off aircraft and began to vomit; chest pain started. I began oxygen again. Went to hotel on oxygen. Doctor came to hotel. Fumes started when APU was turned on. Came out of vent at floor level. Maintenance checked drains and said liquid drain was put in drains and had crystallized and had broken apart on hard landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: when or where the inappropriate material was used to clean the drains was not available to the reporter. The reporter said contract cleaners with the possibility of less than adequate training are becoming more prevalent in this carrier's operation and could be a factor.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CHEMICAL SMELL AND FUMES EMANATING FROM THE AFT GALLEY OF A B737 AFTER LNDG INCAPACITATES 2 FLT ATTENDANTS.
Narrative: ON LNDG; THE AFT GALLEY WAS FILLED WITH A CHEMICAL GAS SMELL; IE; BLEACH/AMMONIA. MY EYES WERE BURNING AND I WAS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING. I ASKED THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT IF IT WAS HAZY. SHE SAID YES. SHE RAN IN LAVATORY; I GRABBED OXYGEN IN BACK. #4 CALLED CAPT. I GOT OFF ACFT AND BEGAN TO VOMIT; CHEST PAIN STARTED. I BEGAN OXYGEN AGAIN. WENT TO HOTEL ON OXYGEN. DOCTOR CAME TO HOTEL. FUMES STARTED WHEN APU WAS TURNED ON. CAME OUT OF VENT AT FLOOR LEVEL. MAINT CHKED DRAINS AND SAID LIQUID DRAIN WAS PUT IN DRAINS AND HAD CRYSTALLIZED AND HAD BROKEN APART ON HARD LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN OR WHERE THE INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL WAS USED TO CLEAN THE DRAINS WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE RPTR. THE RPTR SAID CONTRACT CLEANERS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LESS THAN ADEQUATE TRAINING ARE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT IN THIS CARRIER'S OP AND COULD BE A FACTOR.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.