Narrative:

Shortly after departure during initial climb; flight attendant 'a' called and mentioned sensing fumes in the cabin. She felt her chest was feeling heavy and was having difficulty breathing. We sensed a smell in the cockpit as well but not so different from other takeoffs where the air conditioning system ingests some exhaust fumes and it eventually clears. I related this to flight attendant. Flight attendant advised that the passenger didn't seem to be affected so much; however; flight attendant 'C' was also feeling a bit lightheaded. We leveled at an intermediate altitude and the flight attendant 'a' noticed that it was dissipating. We noticed (as we expected) the same and continued asking to be kept advised. I called the aft cabin asking if they noticed the fumes. They said yes; however; not so strong. We started to climb again; after which we received another call advising that flight attendant 'a' needed to use supplemental oxygen. We elected to land at departure airport. An emergency was declared; the landing was normal except for being overweight. Flight attendant 'a' was treated by paramedics at the gate. Later she reported feeling fine. Upon arrival; the flight attendants in the aft part of main cabin said they noticed the smell to be stronger during descent and landing. The right hydraulic system had been written up with an overheat indication problem. We witnessed the required procedure for the deferral and saw that it passed the procedure. After gate arrival; maintenance did some inspecting and found the left was very hot; not the center or right. This is just my guess; I suspect the fumes may have been skydrol. Perhaps the fumes were more noticeable to the mid cabin flight attendants because they are sitting closer to the system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLT CREW DECLARES AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNS TO DEPARTURE AIRPORT FOR OVERWEIGHT LNDG AFTER FLT ATTENDANTS REPORT FUMES IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER DEP DURING INITIAL CLB; FLT ATTENDANT 'A' CALLED AND MENTIONED SENSING FUMES IN THE CABIN. SHE FELT HER CHEST WAS FEELING HVY AND WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING. WE SENSED A SMELL IN THE COCKPIT AS WELL BUT NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TKOFS WHERE THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS INGESTS SOME EXHAUST FUMES AND IT EVENTUALLY CLEARS. I RELATED THIS TO FLT ATTENDANT. FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT THE PAX DIDN'T SEEM TO BE AFFECTED SO MUCH; HOWEVER; FLT ATTENDANT 'C' WAS ALSO FEELING A BIT LIGHTHEADED. WE LEVELED AT AN INTERMEDIATE ALT AND THE FLT ATTENDANT 'A' NOTICED THAT IT WAS DISSIPATING. WE NOTICED (AS WE EXPECTED) THE SAME AND CONTINUED ASKING TO BE KEPT ADVISED. I CALLED THE AFT CABIN ASKING IF THEY NOTICED THE FUMES. THEY SAID YES; HOWEVER; NOT SO STRONG. WE STARTED TO CLB AGAIN; AFTER WHICH WE RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL ADVISING THAT FLT ATTENDANT 'A' NEEDED TO USE SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN. WE ELECTED TO LAND AT DEP ARPT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED; THE LNDG WAS NORMAL EXCEPT FOR BEING OVERWT. FLT ATTENDANT 'A' WAS TREATED BY PARAMEDICS AT THE GATE. LATER SHE RPTED FEELING FINE. UPON ARR; THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT PART OF MAIN CABIN SAID THEY NOTICED THE SMELL TO BE STRONGER DURING DSCNT AND LNDG. THE R HYD SYS HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP WITH AN OVERHEAT INDICATION PROB. WE WITNESSED THE REQUIRED PROC FOR THE DEFERRAL AND SAW THAT IT PASSED THE PROC. AFTER GATE ARR; MAINT DID SOME INSPECTING AND FOUND THE L WAS VERY HOT; NOT THE CTR OR R. THIS IS JUST MY GUESS; I SUSPECT THE FUMES MAY HAVE BEEN SKYDROL. PERHAPS THE FUMES WERE MORE NOTICEABLE TO THE MID CABIN FLT ATTENDANTS BECAUSE THEY ARE SITTING CLOSER TO THE SYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.