Narrative:

I had reported to the aircraft at XA50 for an XB28 departure on flight XXX to ZZZ. After stowing my bags and briefing the flight attendants; I sat in the cockpit seat to prepare for flight. Shortly after sitting down; I smelled an odor. I could best describe this odor as acrid. The copilot and myself noticed the odor simultaneously and we asked each other 'do you smell something?' I then looked to my left and saw smoke blowing out of the air vents. I then asked the copilot to turn off the packs and the recirculation fans and to open the cockpit windows. After these were accomplished; I called maintenance via the radio and told them that we had 'smoke in the cockpit.' I immediately went to the back of the aircraft which was boarding at the time to assess if any smoke had entered the cabin. It did not appear as though it had. I asked the flight attendants to open all the doors for better ventilation. There was a catering truck at L2 and I asked the 'D' flight attendant to not let them leave until we could ascertain the source of the smoke; thinking that it might possibly be from the truck engine. The mechanics arrived shortly after I returned to the forward part of the cabin and I explained to them what had occurred. The mechanics went into the cockpit and returned to me saying 'the smoke was caused by skydrol.' skydrol is a fluid used in the hydraulic system. I then made a PA announcement to the passenger to gather their belongings and return to the terminal in an orderly fashion; which they did. Prior to packing my things and departing the aircraft; I spoke with the base chief pilot via phone; who asked if paramedics had been called; and I said 'no.' after a short discussion; we decided that it would be best if they were dispatched to our location because I was beginning to feel worse. I retrieved my flight bag and suitcase and left the aircraft. Arriving the crew room; I gathered all the crew together and told them that the paramedics were en route to check all of us. At this point; I began to feel very lightheaded and flushed. One of my flight attendants asked if I was ok and I said no and asked if the copilot and a flight attendant would return to the aft and get me oxygen as I felt as though I was going to pass out. After checking my blood pressure; they said that it was 162/82 and a few mins later 170/100. They then said that I was going to the hospital.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OF A B737 DISTRIBUTED SKYDROL TO THE COCKPIT DURING PREFLT. PAX AND CREW CLRED THE ACFT. THE CAPT WAS TREATED MEDICALLY.

Narrative: I HAD RPTED TO THE ACFT AT XA50 FOR AN XB28 DEP ON FLT XXX TO ZZZ. AFTER STOWING MY BAGS AND BRIEFING THE FLT ATTENDANTS; I SAT IN THE COCKPIT SEAT TO PREPARE FOR FLT. SHORTLY AFTER SITTING DOWN; I SMELLED AN ODOR. I COULD BEST DESCRIBE THIS ODOR AS ACRID. THE COPLT AND MYSELF NOTICED THE ODOR SIMULTANEOUSLY AND WE ASKED EACH OTHER 'DO YOU SMELL SOMETHING?' I THEN LOOKED TO MY L AND SAW SMOKE BLOWING OUT OF THE AIR VENTS. I THEN ASKED THE COPLT TO TURN OFF THE PACKS AND THE RECIRCULATION FANS AND TO OPEN THE COCKPIT WINDOWS. AFTER THESE WERE ACCOMPLISHED; I CALLED MAINT VIA THE RADIO AND TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD 'SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.' I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT WHICH WAS BOARDING AT THE TIME TO ASSESS IF ANY SMOKE HAD ENTERED THE CABIN. IT DID NOT APPEAR AS THOUGH IT HAD. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO OPEN ALL THE DOORS FOR BETTER VENTILATION. THERE WAS A CATERING TRUCK AT L2 AND I ASKED THE 'D' FLT ATTENDANT TO NOT LET THEM LEAVE UNTIL WE COULD ASCERTAIN THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE; THINKING THAT IT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE FROM THE TRUCK ENG. THE MECHS ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER I RETURNED TO THE FORWARD PART OF THE CABIN AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THE MECHS WENT INTO THE COCKPIT AND RETURNED TO ME SAYING 'THE SMOKE WAS CAUSED BY SKYDROL.' SKYDROL IS A FLUID USED IN THE HYD SYS. I THEN MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX TO GATHER THEIR BELONGINGS AND RETURN TO THE TERMINAL IN AN ORDERLY FASHION; WHICH THEY DID. PRIOR TO PACKING MY THINGS AND DEPARTING THE ACFT; I SPOKE WITH THE BASE CHIEF PLT VIA PHONE; WHO ASKED IF PARAMEDICS HAD BEEN CALLED; AND I SAID 'NO.' AFTER A SHORT DISCUSSION; WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF THEY WERE DISPATCHED TO OUR LOCATION BECAUSE I WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL WORSE. I RETRIEVED MY FLT BAG AND SUITCASE AND LEFT THE ACFT. ARRIVING THE CREW ROOM; I GATHERED ALL THE CREW TOGETHER AND TOLD THEM THAT THE PARAMEDICS WERE ENRTE TO CHK ALL OF US. AT THIS POINT; I BEGAN TO FEEL VERY LIGHTHEADED AND FLUSHED. ONE OF MY FLT ATTENDANTS ASKED IF I WAS OK AND I SAID NO AND ASKED IF THE COPLT AND A FLT ATTENDANT WOULD RETURN TO THE AFT AND GET ME OXYGEN AS I FELT AS THOUGH I WAS GOING TO PASS OUT. AFTER CHKING MY BLOOD PRESSURE; THEY SAID THAT IT WAS 162/82 AND A FEW MINS LATER 170/100. THEY THEN SAID THAT I WAS GOING TO THE HOSPITAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.