Narrative:

I was flying flight X and approximately 30 mins after takeoff the #1 flight attendant called to inform me that he smelled a strong odor in the forward lavatory. He described it as being gasoline. I asked him to search the lavatory for any unusual or out of place items and to do the same in the aft lavatories. He reported back that there was nothing out of place or unusual in any of the lavatories other than the smell which he stated also was present in the aft lavatories. I asked him to have a deadheading captain inspect the lavatories. The deadheading captain reported that he thought the smell was that of kerosene; but also found nothing out of place or unusual other than the smell. During this time I was communicating with dispatch about what was transpiring and asked him to contact ZZZ1 operations to find out if something was malfunctioning on the lavatory truck that svced us in ZZZ1. Also during this period; discussion between the first officer and myself about possible scenarios brought about my decision to divert to ZZZ2. We landed at ZZZ2; flushed all the lavatories 6 times; according to the procedures set forth by maintenance control services and then continued to ZZZ3. Before flushing the lavatories I went into each of the lavatories to verify the smells. I also smelled the odor of what seemed to be that of gasoline/kerosene.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CABIN ATTENDANT ADVISES FLT CREW OF GASOLINE/KEROSENE ODOR EMANATING FROM ACFT LAVATORIES.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FLT X AND APPROX 30 MINS AFTER TKOF THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT HE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR IN THE FORWARD LAVATORY. HE DESCRIBED IT AS BEING GASOLINE. I ASKED HIM TO SEARCH THE LAVATORY FOR ANY UNUSUAL OR OUT OF PLACE ITEMS AND TO DO THE SAME IN THE AFT LAVATORIES. HE RPTED BACK THAT THERE WAS NOTHING OUT OF PLACE OR UNUSUAL IN ANY OF THE LAVATORIES OTHER THAN THE SMELL WHICH HE STATED ALSO WAS PRESENT IN THE AFT LAVATORIES. I ASKED HIM TO HAVE A DEADHEADING CAPT INSPECT THE LAVATORIES. THE DEADHEADING CAPT RPTED THAT HE THOUGHT THE SMELL WAS THAT OF KEROSENE; BUT ALSO FOUND NOTHING OUT OF PLACE OR UNUSUAL OTHER THAN THE SMELL. DURING THIS TIME I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH DISPATCH ABOUT WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING AND ASKED HIM TO CONTACT ZZZ1 OPS TO FIND OUT IF SOMETHING WAS MALFUNCTIONING ON THE LAVATORY TRUCK THAT SVCED US IN ZZZ1. ALSO DURING THIS PERIOD; DISCUSSION BTWN THE FO AND MYSELF ABOUT POSSIBLE SCENARIOS BROUGHT ABOUT MY DECISION TO DIVERT TO ZZZ2. WE LANDED AT ZZZ2; FLUSHED ALL THE LAVATORIES 6 TIMES; ACCORDING TO THE PROCS SET FORTH BY MAINT CTL SVCS AND THEN CONTINUED TO ZZZ3. BEFORE FLUSHING THE LAVATORIES I WENT INTO EACH OF THE LAVATORIES TO VERIFY THE SMELLS. I ALSO SMELLED THE ODOR OF WHAT SEEMED TO BE THAT OF GASOLINE/KEROSENE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.