Narrative:

The first officer and I arranged for a taxicab ride to naples, fl airport (apf) for an XA00 local departure time. As I approached the cabin attendant I noticed the taxi driver had all 4 windows open which was odd as it was a very damp morning and the seats were wet. As soon as we got going the driver rolled up the windows and started the air conditioning. After about 10 mins I noticed very strong exhaust fumes in the car. About 5 mins later the first officer looked at me concerned and said, 'roll down your window.' the fumes continued to be very strong for the remaining 10 mins of the ride. Upon arrival at the airport, the first officer and myself felt sick to our stomach. We departed on time without incident. As the cabin climbed through about 2000 ft I noticed that I again felt very sick to my stomach. As the cabin climbed through 5500 ft at FL370 I noticed that I felt dizzy and still very sick to my stomach. I asked the first officer how he felt and he told me he felt like throwing up. He also said he was having trouble concentrating. At this point we understood that the taxicab ride was the problem and the cabin altitude was making it worse. I decided to put my oxygen mask on, 100% oxygen. This helped me shake the dizzy feeling. I left the mask on for about 10 mins felt much better and took it off again. The first officer then put his mask on for about 10 mins and felt better also. I then felt normal again. After about 30 mins I started to feel dizzy again and put my mask on for about 10 mins after which I felt normal again. During the descent we felt better and better as the cabin descended. We landed without incident however we both had bad headaches. I talked to the chief pilot and he cancelled the rest of our flying for the day. I think greater awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning would have led me to cancel the flight from the beginning. Of course, I knew it was dangerous but, I didn't realize the dangers of being poisoned and then making a rapid climb to altitude. I would never make that flight again knowing what I now know about carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, a diversion to a landing as soon as practicable should have been made. However, I can tell you that neither one of us were thinking absolutely clearly during the event. Supplemental information from acn 638690: we surmised that we were affected by the exhaust fumes from the cabin attendant and may have experienced some form of carbon monoxide sickness. At no time did I feel as if the safety of our flight was in jeopardy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C550 FLT CREW ATTRIBUTES NAUSEA AND DIZZINESS TO CARBON MONOXIDE EXPOSURE DURING A TAXI RIDE TO THE ARPT. CONDITION WAS EXACERBATED BY SUBSEQUENT FLT AT A CABIN ALT OF 5500 FT, THEN MITIGATED BY THE USE OF 100 PERCENT OXYGEN.

Narrative: THE FO AND I ARRANGED FOR A TAXICAB RIDE TO NAPLES, FL ARPT (APF) FOR AN XA00 LCL DEP TIME. AS I APCHED THE CAB I NOTICED THE TAXI DRIVER HAD ALL 4 WINDOWS OPEN WHICH WAS ODD AS IT WAS A VERY DAMP MORNING AND THE SEATS WERE WET. AS SOON AS WE GOT GOING THE DRIVER ROLLED UP THE WINDOWS AND STARTED THE AIR CONDITIONING. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS I NOTICED VERY STRONG EXHAUST FUMES IN THE CAR. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER THE FO LOOKED AT ME CONCERNED AND SAID, 'ROLL DOWN YOUR WINDOW.' THE FUMES CONTINUED TO BE VERY STRONG FOR THE REMAINING 10 MINS OF THE RIDE. UPON ARR AT THE ARPT, THE FO AND MYSELF FELT SICK TO OUR STOMACH. WE DEPARTED ON TIME WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS THE CABIN CLBED THROUGH ABOUT 2000 FT I NOTICED THAT I AGAIN FELT VERY SICK TO MY STOMACH. AS THE CABIN CLBED THROUGH 5500 FT AT FL370 I NOTICED THAT I FELT DIZZY AND STILL VERY SICK TO MY STOMACH. I ASKED THE FO HOW HE FELT AND HE TOLD ME HE FELT LIKE THROWING UP. HE ALSO SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE CONCENTRATING. AT THIS POINT WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE TAXICAB RIDE WAS THE PROB AND THE CABIN ALT WAS MAKING IT WORSE. I DECIDED TO PUT MY OXYGEN MASK ON, 100% OXYGEN. THIS HELPED ME SHAKE THE DIZZY FEELING. I LEFT THE MASK ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINS FELT MUCH BETTER AND TOOK IT OFF AGAIN. THE FO THEN PUT HIS MASK ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINS AND FELT BETTER ALSO. I THEN FELT NORMAL AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS I STARTED TO FEEL DIZZY AGAIN AND PUT MY MASK ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER WHICH I FELT NORMAL AGAIN. DURING THE DSCNT WE FELT BETTER AND BETTER AS THE CABIN DSNDED. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT HOWEVER WE BOTH HAD BAD HEADACHES. I TALKED TO THE CHIEF PLT AND HE CANCELLED THE REST OF OUR FLYING FOR THE DAY. I THINK GREATER AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WOULD HAVE LED ME TO CANCEL THE FLT FROM THE BEGINNING. OF COURSE, I KNEW IT WAS DANGEROUS BUT, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE DANGERS OF BEING POISONED AND THEN MAKING A RAPID CLB TO ALT. I WOULD NEVER MAKE THAT FLT AGAIN KNOWING WHAT I NOW KNOW ABOUT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. IN ADDITION, A DIVERSION TO A LNDG AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE. HOWEVER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT NEITHER ONE OF US WERE THINKING ABSOLUTELY CLRLY DURING THE EVENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 638690: WE SURMISED THAT WE WERE AFFECTED BY THE EXHAUST FUMES FROM THE CAB AND MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF CARBON MONOXIDE SICKNESS. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL AS IF THE SAFETY OF OUR FLT WAS IN JEOPARDY.

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.