Narrative:

While preparing to depart den for sea; I was informed that the aft galley/lavatory area carpet smelled strongly. A mechanic was on board; and he checked it out. He said if we wanted to write it up it could be deferred; but that the carpet was svcable and would be changed out at the end of the next cycle. The flight attendants said they weren't happy but could live with it. While we were boarding passenger; the purser said the smell was bothering the flight attendants in the back of the plane. I asked him if it had reached the point where he thought maintenance should be called back and the carpet taken care of and after conferring with his flying partners he indicated that it would be ok until we reached sea. Before boarding the passenger; a cabin cleaner sprayed the area and other parts of the airplane with a deodorizer. While en route; the purser called and stated that the flight attendants in the back of the airplane were not feeling well. We were on 1 pack operations and restr to FL240. The air was continuously bumpy. En route; flight attendant began to feel ill and deadheading flight attendant was recruited to fill in for her. She came to the cockpit for a chance to get away from the fumes and to take oxygen. She returned to the cabin after about 5 mins; but was not feeling well. Before landing flight attendant was given oxygen from the walkaround bottle. Both flight attendants in the back of the plane felt woozy from the smell of the carpet. Flight attendants were met by paramedics and checked out at the end of the flight. After the passenger had deplaned I went to the rear of the aircraft; and I must say that the smell from the carpet and lavatory was overpowering. Purser stated that the smell had gotten worse during the flight and that oxygen did not seem to have any positive effect on flight attendant. I would like to commend purser for his professional handling of this matter and also flight attendant for making herself available during this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CABIN CREW MEMBER IS OVERCOME BY FUMES AND IS ADMINISTERED OXYGEN DURING CRUISE.

Narrative: WHILE PREPARING TO DEPART DEN FOR SEA; I WAS INFORMED THAT THE AFT GALLEY/LAVATORY AREA CARPET SMELLED STRONGLY. A MECH WAS ON BOARD; AND HE CHKED IT OUT. HE SAID IF WE WANTED TO WRITE IT UP IT COULD BE DEFERRED; BUT THAT THE CARPET WAS SVCABLE AND WOULD BE CHANGED OUT AT THE END OF THE NEXT CYCLE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY WEREN'T HAPPY BUT COULD LIVE WITH IT. WHILE WE WERE BOARDING PAX; THE PURSER SAID THE SMELL WAS BOTHERING THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE. I ASKED HIM IF IT HAD REACHED THE POINT WHERE HE THOUGHT MAINT SHOULD BE CALLED BACK AND THE CARPET TAKEN CARE OF AND AFTER CONFERRING WITH HIS FLYING PARTNERS HE INDICATED THAT IT WOULD BE OK UNTIL WE REACHED SEA. BEFORE BOARDING THE PAX; A CABIN CLEANER SPRAYED THE AREA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE AIRPLANE WITH A DEODORIZER. WHILE ENRTE; THE PURSER CALLED AND STATED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE WERE NOT FEELING WELL. WE WERE ON 1 PACK OPS AND RESTR TO FL240. THE AIR WAS CONTINUOUSLY BUMPY. ENRTE; FLT ATTENDANT BEGAN TO FEEL ILL AND DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANT WAS RECRUITED TO FILL IN FOR HER. SHE CAME TO THE COCKPIT FOR A CHANCE TO GET AWAY FROM THE FUMES AND TO TAKE OXYGEN. SHE RETURNED TO THE CABIN AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS; BUT WAS NOT FEELING WELL. BEFORE LNDG FLT ATTENDANT WAS GIVEN OXYGEN FROM THE WALKAROUND BOTTLE. BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE FELT WOOZY FROM THE SMELL OF THE CARPET. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE MET BY PARAMEDICS AND CHKED OUT AT THE END OF THE FLT. AFTER THE PAX HAD DEPLANED I WENT TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT; AND I MUST SAY THAT THE SMELL FROM THE CARPET AND LAVATORY WAS OVERPOWERING. PURSER STATED THAT THE SMELL HAD GOTTEN WORSE DURING THE FLT AND THAT OXYGEN DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY POSITIVE EFFECT ON FLT ATTENDANT. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND PURSER FOR HIS PROFESSIONAL HANDLING OF THIS MATTER AND ALSO FLT ATTENDANT FOR MAKING HERSELF AVAILABLE DURING THIS SIT.

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.