 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
ATR72 flight crew has a strong sulphur odor in aircraft. Unable to determine cause. Declared emergency, divert land.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 332490 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199603 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tul |
| State Reference | OK |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 21000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | ATR 72 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 332490 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated Other |
Narrative:
FL210 crew experienced extremely potent sulfur odor. Unable to immediately identify the source, crew diverted to tul as a precautionary measure. Passenger were deplaned on runway 18L. Crash, fire and rescue were present. Cause of odor was later idented to have been material possessed by a passenger and released as a practical joke. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the passenger was taken into custody and some charges were filed against him. Rumor has it that he might have been charged with air piracy -- not proven. This was not a kid and reporter is surprised at such actions from a grown man who should have known better. The odor would be bad enough in a open area, but in a confined cockpit it was overwhelming. There was no choice but to get on the ground. The aircraft was a ATR72.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATR72 FLC HAS A STRONG SULPHUR ODOR IN ACFT. UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. DECLARED EMER, DIVERT LAND.
Narrative: FL210 CREW EXPERIENCED EXTREMELY POTENT SULFUR ODOR. UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY IDENT THE SOURCE, CREW DIVERTED TO TUL AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. PAX WERE DEPLANED ON RWY 18L. CRASH, FIRE AND RESCUE WERE PRESENT. CAUSE OF ODOR WAS LATER IDENTED TO HAVE BEEN MATERIAL POSSESSED BY A PAX AND RELEASED AS A PRACTICAL JOKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE PAX WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND SOME CHARGES WERE FILED AGAINST HIM. RUMOR HAS IT THAT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH AIR PIRACY -- NOT PROVEN. THIS WAS NOT A KID AND RPTR IS SURPRISED AT SUCH ACTIONS FROM A GROWN MAN WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. THE ODOR WOULD BE BAD ENOUGH IN A OPEN AREA, BUT IN A CONFINED COCKPIT IT WAS OVERWHELMING. THERE WAS NO CHOICE BUT TO GET ON THE GND. THE ACFT WAS A ATR72.
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.