Narrative:

Upon boarding aircraft, diesel fumes were detectable. A very strong odor. When mentioned to cockpit, were informed it was already being 'taken care of' by way of cracking galley doors to allow smell to dissipate. Odor was overwhelming. Found gray residue on cups and insert in aft galley. Mentioned to cockpit in case it was residue from what we were smelling. 20 mins later, I called agent to request supplies and to inform them of the smell. Also told them I didn't think we should board aircraft. Upon returning to aircraft from jetbridge, was overwhelmed by smell once again realizing how bad it really was. Called agent again to tell them I didn't think he should board aircraft. Supervisor came down to aircraft, walked 1/2 way down aisle. Commented that smell wasn't that bad, and proceeded to board aircraft anyway. During boarding, I was in back of aircraft. Some passenger commented on smell. As we were told to prepare for departure, I was feeling light-headed and dizzy at this point. Called cockpit to inform them how I was feeling. Felt as if I would pass out if I didn't hold onto seats. Completed demonstration and took jumpseat. Had to use kleenex over mouth to breathe. After approximately 1/2 hour of being on taxiway trying to get rid of smell (cockpit was talking to maintenance for methods to dissipate) with no luck, returned to gate. Passenger remained on board until it was decided what was to be done. At approximately 1 hour later, passenger and crew deplaned. I was dizzy, light-headed, had headache, could taste diesel when exhaling. Medical assistance was offered. Agreed in order to ask questions about symptoms. 3 crash fire rescue equipment trucks arrived. Firemen and emt's were concerned about symptoms and suspected possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Took blood pressures of crew - all elevated. Put us on oxygen immediately and insisted we go to emergency room for blood tests. At hospital, we stayed on oxygen. I had a chest x-ray done in addition to blood work. Stayed on oxygen total of 2 hours. Blood tests returned normal. Returned to airport to deadhead back to chicago. Supplemental information from acn 599873: as crew boarded flight in ZZZ, there was gassy, burning smell in cabin. We opened all doors and exits to get rid of it. Captain thought that when the engines were running, the smell would lessen. It did not. It got worse. Crew advised the customer service agent about smell, but we were told to board passenger, closed doors, and departed from gate. It was not better at all. Captain made the decision to go back to the gate and unload people and put plane OTS. We ended up (crew of 5) at local hospital. After being checked (blood, blood pressure, ekg, x-ray), released and diagnosed with exhaust irritation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 MD80 FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT THEY WERE FORCED TO BOARD BY THE GATE AGENT, EVEN AFTER THEY RPTED FUMES IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: UPON BOARDING ACFT, DIESEL FUMES WERE DETECTABLE. A VERY STRONG ODOR. WHEN MENTIONED TO COCKPIT, WERE INFORMED IT WAS ALREADY BEING 'TAKEN CARE OF' BY WAY OF CRACKING GALLEY DOORS TO ALLOW SMELL TO DISSIPATE. ODOR WAS OVERWHELMING. FOUND GRAY RESIDUE ON CUPS AND INSERT IN AFT GALLEY. MENTIONED TO COCKPIT IN CASE IT WAS RESIDUE FROM WHAT WE WERE SMELLING. 20 MINS LATER, I CALLED AGENT TO REQUEST SUPPLIES AND TO INFORM THEM OF THE SMELL. ALSO TOLD THEM I DIDN'T THINK WE SHOULD BOARD ACFT. UPON RETURNING TO ACFT FROM JETBRIDGE, WAS OVERWHELMED BY SMELL ONCE AGAIN REALIZING HOW BAD IT REALLY WAS. CALLED AGENT AGAIN TO TELL THEM I DIDN'T THINK HE SHOULD BOARD ACFT. SUPVR CAME DOWN TO ACFT, WALKED 1/2 WAY DOWN AISLE. COMMENTED THAT SMELL WASN'T THAT BAD, AND PROCEEDED TO BOARD ACFT ANYWAY. DURING BOARDING, I WAS IN BACK OF ACFT. SOME PAX COMMENTED ON SMELL. AS WE WERE TOLD TO PREPARE FOR DEP, I WAS FEELING LIGHT-HEADED AND DIZZY AT THIS POINT. CALLED COCKPIT TO INFORM THEM HOW I WAS FEELING. FELT AS IF I WOULD PASS OUT IF I DIDN'T HOLD ONTO SEATS. COMPLETED DEMO AND TOOK JUMPSEAT. HAD TO USE KLEENEX OVER MOUTH TO BREATHE. AFTER APPROX 1/2 HR OF BEING ON TXWY TRYING TO GET RID OF SMELL (COCKPIT WAS TALKING TO MAINT FOR METHODS TO DISSIPATE) WITH NO LUCK, RETURNED TO GATE. PAX REMAINED ON BOARD UNTIL IT WAS DECIDED WHAT WAS TO BE DONE. AT APPROX 1 HR LATER, PAX AND CREW DEPLANED. I WAS DIZZY, LIGHT-HEADED, HAD HEADACHE, COULD TASTE DIESEL WHEN EXHALING. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. AGREED IN ORDER TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT SYMPTOMS. 3 CFR TRUCKS ARRIVED. FIREMEN AND EMT'S WERE CONCERNED ABOUT SYMPTOMS AND SUSPECTED POSSIBLE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. TOOK BLOOD PRESSURES OF CREW - ALL ELEVATED. PUT US ON OXYGEN IMMEDIATELY AND INSISTED WE GO TO EMER ROOM FOR BLOOD TESTS. AT HOSPITAL, WE STAYED ON OXYGEN. I HAD A CHEST X-RAY DONE IN ADDITION TO BLOOD WORK. STAYED ON OXYGEN TOTAL OF 2 HRS. BLOOD TESTS RETURNED NORMAL. RETURNED TO ARPT TO DEADHEAD BACK TO CHICAGO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 599873: AS CREW BOARDED FLT IN ZZZ, THERE WAS GASSY, BURNING SMELL IN CABIN. WE OPENED ALL DOORS AND EXITS TO GET RID OF IT. CAPT THOUGHT THAT WHEN THE ENGS WERE RUNNING, THE SMELL WOULD LESSEN. IT DID NOT. IT GOT WORSE. CREW ADVISED THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT ABOUT SMELL, BUT WE WERE TOLD TO BOARD PAX, CLOSED DOORS, AND DEPARTED FROM GATE. IT WAS NOT BETTER AT ALL. CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO GO BACK TO THE GATE AND UNLOAD PEOPLE AND PUT PLANE OTS. WE ENDED UP (CREW OF 5) AT LOCAL HOSPITAL. AFTER BEING CHKED (BLOOD, BLOOD PRESSURE, EKG, X-RAY), RELEASED AND DIAGNOSED WITH EXHAUST IRRITATION.

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.