Narrative:

At 7500 ft, approximately 15 mi southwest from the pmd VOR on a heading to the east, my eyes started reacting in a very violent way to the 'coppertone' sun lotion that I had applied to my face prior to takeoff. The allergic reaction resulted in at least 5-8 mins of total blindness. I just managed to set the autoplt on a heading of 020 degrees away from the high terrain to the east. On partial recovery of sight, I found that I had intruded into R2515. The factors that affected my judgement as a pilot were the unfamiliarity with the trinidad aeroplane. A sense of hopelessness as PIC. In unfamiliar mountain terrain these sits would have resulted in an accident! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this TB20 trinidad pilot said that he used the most effective 'coppertone' sun block that he could purchase since he was flying over some desert areas and is sensitive to sun exposure. He said that the cockpit was warm and he started to perspire and some of the sun block, apparently, ran into his eyes and he experienced sharp pains and loss of vision in both eyes. Fortunately, the aircraft was on autoplt. He said that he was unable to focus on anything but his blindness and pain. He said that he recalled where he had placed a can of coke and he poured this on 1 eye while wiping this with a tissue until eye became usable. He then, being out of coke, said that he saw a container of water which he used to wipe the other eye clear. After he had recovered his sight he checked his position and discovered that he had overflown a turn point and was now inside restr area R2515. He called the ARTCC controller who vectored him clear and on course. Later, he called the center and talked to a supervisor who was polite and professional to him as he explained what happened. He said that he then reported the incident to his local FSDO. The FSDO personnel were also considerate and appeared to be interested in the sun block's effects, he said. The reporter said that, in fine print on the back of the container, there is a warning to avoid eye contact with the contents. He said that he remembered reading this warning earlier, but the possibility of perspiration causing eye contact never entered his mind. He said that there should be a stronger and more complete warning on the container. He said that he had spoken to another pilot who had a similar experience while flying an ultralight aircraft and using the same sun block.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THIS TB20 PLT WAS WEARING A 'COPPERTONE' SUN BLOCK WHEN SOME OF IT GOT INTO HIS EYES AS HE PERSPIRED. HE WAS ON AUTOPLT SO THE ACFT MAINTAINED ITS HDG AS THE PLT WENT COMPLETELY BLIND FOR 5-10 MINS. AFTER CLRING HIS EYES OF THE SUN BLOCK HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD CROSSED INTO R2515.

Narrative: AT 7500 FT, APPROX 15 MI SW FROM THE PMD VOR ON A HDG TO THE E, MY EYES STARTED REACTING IN A VERY VIOLENT WAY TO THE 'COPPERTONE' SUN LOTION THAT I HAD APPLIED TO MY FACE PRIOR TO TKOF. THE ALLERGIC REACTION RESULTED IN AT LEAST 5-8 MINS OF TOTAL BLINDNESS. I JUST MANAGED TO SET THE AUTOPLT ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS AWAY FROM THE HIGH TERRAIN TO THE E. ON PARTIAL RECOVERY OF SIGHT, I FOUND THAT I HAD INTRUDED INTO R2515. THE FACTORS THAT AFFECTED MY JUDGEMENT AS A PLT WERE THE UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE TRINIDAD AEROPLANE. A SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS AS PIC. IN UNFAMILIAR MOUNTAIN TERRAIN THESE SITS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS TB20 TRINIDAD PLT SAID THAT HE USED THE MOST EFFECTIVE 'COPPERTONE' SUN BLOCK THAT HE COULD PURCHASE SINCE HE WAS FLYING OVER SOME DESERT AREAS AND IS SENSITIVE TO SUN EXPOSURE. HE SAID THAT THE COCKPIT WAS WARM AND HE STARTED TO PERSPIRE AND SOME OF THE SUN BLOCK, APPARENTLY, RAN INTO HIS EYES AND HE EXPERIENCED SHARP PAINS AND LOSS OF VISION IN BOTH EYES. FORTUNATELY, THE ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT. HE SAID THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO FOCUS ON ANYTHING BUT HIS BLINDNESS AND PAIN. HE SAID THAT HE RECALLED WHERE HE HAD PLACED A CAN OF COKE AND HE POURED THIS ON 1 EYE WHILE WIPING THIS WITH A TISSUE UNTIL EYE BECAME USABLE. HE THEN, BEING OUT OF COKE, SAID THAT HE SAW A CONTAINER OF WATER WHICH HE USED TO WIPE THE OTHER EYE CLR. AFTER HE HAD RECOVERED HIS SIGHT HE CHKED HIS POS AND DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD OVERFLOWN A TURN POINT AND WAS NOW INSIDE RESTR AREA R2515. HE CALLED THE ARTCC CTLR WHO VECTORED HIM CLR AND ON COURSE. LATER, HE CALLED THE CTR AND TALKED TO A SUPVR WHO WAS POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL TO HIM AS HE EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID THAT HE THEN RPTED THE INCIDENT TO HIS LCL FSDO. THE FSDO PERSONNEL WERE ALSO CONSIDERATE AND APPEARED TO BE INTERESTED IN THE SUN BLOCK'S EFFECTS, HE SAID. THE RPTR SAID THAT, IN FINE PRINT ON THE BACK OF THE CONTAINER, THERE IS A WARNING TO AVOID EYE CONTACT WITH THE CONTENTS. HE SAID THAT HE REMEMBERED READING THIS WARNING EARLIER, BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PERSPIRATION CAUSING EYE CONTACT NEVER ENTERED HIS MIND. HE SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE A STRONGER AND MORE COMPLETE WARNING ON THE CONTAINER. HE SAID THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO ANOTHER PLT WHO HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WHILE FLYING AN ULTRALIGHT ACFT AND USING THE SAME SUN BLOCK.

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.