Toxic fumes affects flight crew and passenger in an light transport, emb-120. Diversion to alternate...

Attributes
ACN	269126
Time
Date	199404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pkb
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	269126
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At cruise en route from ind to day at FL240 about 130 mi west of iad. All at once a toxic smelling odor filled cockpit and passenger cabin. All crew members and passenger could smell odor. All crew members described euphoric feeling. We donned oxygen masks. Declared emergency and pulled out QRH and went thought checklist. Pkb, wv, was only 40 mi to the northwest so we diverted there to land. After landing we cleared runway, evacuate/evacuationed passenger and shut down the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter revealed that there was a short in the left recirculation fan system which then affected the wiring and insulation since the circuit breaker obviously had not disabled the circuitry. The fumes produced were very toxic and affected the cabin attendant first, since her body weight was less and the fumes went from the cabin then into the cockpit. The captain was then affected and after that, the first officer. Emergency vehicles had been called out and an ambulance was included in that group. All the passenger and crew were checked over with the crew being given the rest of the day off. The air carrier was fully informed of all aspects of the incident with the aircraft being repaired and back in service the next day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TOXIC FUMES AFFECTS FLC AND PAX IN AN LTT, EMB-120. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: AT CRUISE ENRTE FROM IND TO DAY AT FL240 ABOUT 130 MI W OF IAD. ALL AT ONCE A TOXIC SMELLING ODOR FILLED COCKPIT AND PAX CABIN. ALL CREW MEMBERS AND PAX COULD SMELL ODOR. ALL CREW MEMBERS DESCRIBED EUPHORIC FEELING. WE DONNED OXYGEN MASKS. DECLARED EMER AND PULLED OUT QRH AND WENT THOUGHT CHKLIST. PKB, WV, WAS ONLY 40 MI TO THE NW SO WE DIVERTED THERE TO LAND. AFTER LNDG WE CLRED RWY, EVACED PAX AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE L RECIRCULATION FAN SYS WHICH THEN AFFECTED THE WIRING AND INSULATION SINCE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OBVIOUSLY HAD NOT DISABLED THE CIRCUITRY. THE FUMES PRODUCED WERE VERY TOXIC AND AFFECTED THE CABIN ATTENDANT FIRST, SINCE HER BODY WT WAS LESS AND THE FUMES WENT FROM THE CABIN THEN INTO THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT WAS THEN AFFECTED AND AFTER THAT, THE FO. EMER VEHICLES HAD BEEN CALLED OUT AND AN AMBULANCE WAS INCLUDED IN THAT GROUP. ALL THE PAX AND CREW WERE CHKED OVER WITH THE CREW BEING GIVEN THE REST OF THE DAY OFF. THE ACR WAS FULLY INFORMED OF ALL ASPECTS OF THE INCIDENT WITH THE ACFT BEING REPAIRED AND BACK IN SVC THE NEXT DAY.

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.