Narrative:

Location: dtw. Engineer turned on air-conditioner and aircraft filled with exhaust fumes. Determined source to be conditioned air cart and turned it off. Started APU and ran packs to evacuate/evacuation fumes which seemed to help. Situation seemed even better after packs were run off the engines. By the time we leveled off, all 3 of us had headaches, engineer was also nauseous, probably due to greatest exposure to carbon monoxide. We were all on oxygen intermittently until 30 mins after takeoff when all started to feel better. Considered returning to departure station but decided that situation was under control. In hindsight I should not have allowed the aircraft to be loaded until all fumes had been evacuate/evacuationed. I was under the mistaken assumption that engine driven packs would remove the fumes much sooner. Apparently, the interior furnishings were permeated as the smell lingered for at least 2 hours. Before gate departure, reported fumes to agent supervisor. He said that the air cart had been back to the shop several times for that same problem. Request that someone with the authority/authorized to fix this problem ensure that this situation is not repeated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAULTY AIR-CONDITIONER CART FILLS B727 WITH NOXIOUS FUMES. FLC SUFFERS FOR 30 MINS WITH HEADACHES WHILE INFLT. FAULT IN CART KNOWN TO MAINT PERSONNEL.

Narrative: LOCATION: DTW. ENGINEER TURNED ON AIR-CONDITIONER AND ACFT FILLED WITH EXHAUST FUMES. DETERMINED SOURCE TO BE CONDITIONED AIR CART AND TURNED IT OFF. STARTED APU AND RAN PACKS TO EVAC FUMES WHICH SEEMED TO HELP. SIT SEEMED EVEN BETTER AFTER PACKS WERE RUN OFF THE ENGS. BY THE TIME WE LEVELED OFF, ALL 3 OF US HAD HEADACHES, ENGINEER WAS ALSO NAUSEOUS, PROBABLY DUE TO GREATEST EXPOSURE TO CARBON MONOXIDE. WE WERE ALL ON OXYGEN INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL 30 MINS AFTER TKOF WHEN ALL STARTED TO FEEL BETTER. CONSIDERED RETURNING TO DEP STATION BUT DECIDED THAT SIT WAS UNDER CTL. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO BE LOADED UNTIL ALL FUMES HAD BEEN EVACED. I WAS UNDER THE MISTAKEN ASSUMPTION THAT ENG DRIVEN PACKS WOULD REMOVE THE FUMES MUCH SOONER. APPARENTLY, THE INTERIOR FURNISHINGS WERE PERMEATED AS THE SMELL LINGERED FOR AT LEAST 2 HRS. BEFORE GATE DEP, RPTED FUMES TO AGENT SUPVR. HE SAID THAT THE AIR CART HAD BEEN BACK TO THE SHOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR THAT SAME PROB. REQUEST THAT SOMEONE WITH THE AUTH TO FIX THIS PROB ENSURE THAT THIS SIT IS NOT REPEATED.

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.