Narrative:

In sum: flight departs mem for campinas, brazil. Crew notes odd smell like propane during climb and begins to discuss the possible causes and response. After some discussion with air carrier, crew receives clearance to dump fuel and is reclred to return to memphis. At this time, various forms of subtle incapacitation and diminished capacity are noted by various crew members, slurred speech, slow reaction times, inability to perform simple tasks on the first attempt, etc. After an arduous approach and uneventful landing, at least part of the crew is taken to the hospital where toxicologists identify the suspect agent as n-dodecylmercaptan. The captain requests that records of the aircraft hazmats be saved, copied and provided to him. Upon release from the hospital, the promised records are lost or just not available. Captain becomes upset with air carrier person and is threatened with punitive action for being disrespectful to air carrier. The reporter captain remains somewhat skeptical as to the correct identify of the chemical agent and therefore the long term effects on the flight crew and/or handling personnel. The reporter makes numerous and safety minded suggestions on how to deal with similar sits and some to further safeguard for the handling, packing, identing, and xporting of hazmats. The reporter remains concerned over his health issues and those of his crew and air carrier and fears that the main concern of the air carrier is to make the problem go away.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 DUMPS FUEL AND RETURNS TO MEM AS RESULT OF FUMES FROM HAZARDOUS CARGO.

Narrative: IN SUM: FLT DEPARTS MEM FOR CAMPINAS, BRAZIL. CREW NOTES ODD SMELL LIKE PROPANE DURING CLB AND BEGINS TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE CAUSES AND RESPONSE. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH ACR, CREW RECEIVES CLRNC TO DUMP FUEL AND IS RECLRED TO RETURN TO MEMPHIS. AT THIS TIME, VARIOUS FORMS OF SUBTLE INCAPACITATION AND DIMINISHED CAPACITY ARE NOTED BY VARIOUS CREW MEMBERS, SLURRED SPEECH, SLOW REACTION TIMES, INABILITY TO PERFORM SIMPLE TASKS ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT, ETC. AFTER AN ARDUOUS APCH AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG, AT LEAST PART OF THE CREW IS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE TOXICOLOGISTS IDENT THE SUSPECT AGENT AS N-DODECYLMERCAPTAN. THE CAPT REQUESTS THAT RECORDS OF THE ACFT HAZMATS BE SAVED, COPIED AND PROVIDED TO HIM. UPON RELEASE FROM THE HOSPITAL, THE PROMISED RECORDS ARE LOST OR JUST NOT AVAILABLE. CAPT BECOMES UPSET WITH ACR PERSON AND IS THREATENED WITH PUNITIVE ACTION FOR BEING DISRESPECTFUL TO ACR. THE RPTR CAPT REMAINS SOMEWHAT SKEPTICAL AS TO THE CORRECT IDENT OF THE CHEMICAL AGENT AND THEREFORE THE LONG TERM EFFECTS ON THE FLC AND/OR HANDLING PERSONNEL. THE RPTR MAKES NUMEROUS AND SAFETY MINDED SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH SIMILAR SITS AND SOME TO FURTHER SAFEGUARD FOR THE HANDLING, PACKING, IDENTING, AND XPORTING OF HAZMATS. THE RPTR REMAINS CONCERNED OVER HIS HEALTH ISSUES AND THOSE OF HIS CREW AND ACR AND FEARS THAT THE MAIN CONCERN OF THE ACR IS TO MAKE THE PROB GO AWAY.

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.