Narrative:

This was the first flight of the day with crew meals scheduled for the pilots. The meals were placed in the cockpit prior to pushback. I did not check the meals as I was busy with dispatch. When we got to cruise; the first officer opened up his meal and gagged from the absolute stench. I looked at my meal with the same result. These were crew meals that were supposed to be cold but had obviously been left on an extremely hot airplane for many days (5 or 6 days). The cheese was melted and the milk was ready to explode. The fruit and yogurt both looked like soup. We informed the flight attendants. They were aware that the meals were warm but still put them in the cockpit. We asked for wet wipes to clean the stench from our hands and later asked for anything that was available to eat. All that was offered was pretzels and crackers. After the flight; I brought the meals to the flight office. I then returned to the aircraft to see if there were any other meals on the plane. There were 2 meals in the chiller in the back of the plane that looked a lot like crew meals. I asked the flight attendants about them and they stated that they were first class meals. Even if they were; I have no idea why they wouldn't have offered them to us knowing full well we had meals that at best would have made us sick if we had consumed any part of them. This is extremely disturbing. If these meals had later been chilled after already been hot; I may have consumed a portion of the meal before noticing how bad they were. As stated earlier; at best; I/we both would have become extremely sick.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500 FLT CREW REPORTS THEY WERE SERVED SPOILED CREW MEALS WHICH WERE INEDIBLE.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY WITH CREW MEALS SCHEDULED FOR THE PLTS. THE MEALS WERE PLACED IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. I DID NOT CHK THE MEALS AS I WAS BUSY WITH DISPATCH. WHEN WE GOT TO CRUISE; THE FO OPENED UP HIS MEAL AND GAGGED FROM THE ABSOLUTE STENCH. I LOOKED AT MY MEAL WITH THE SAME RESULT. THESE WERE CREW MEALS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE COLD BUT HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN LEFT ON AN EXTREMELY HOT AIRPLANE FOR MANY DAYS (5 OR 6 DAYS). THE CHEESE WAS MELTED AND THE MILK WAS READY TO EXPLODE. THE FRUIT AND YOGURT BOTH LOOKED LIKE SOUP. WE INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEY WERE AWARE THAT THE MEALS WERE WARM BUT STILL PUT THEM IN THE COCKPIT. WE ASKED FOR WET WIPES TO CLEAN THE STENCH FROM OUR HANDS AND LATER ASKED FOR ANYTHING THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO EAT. ALL THAT WAS OFFERED WAS PRETZELS AND CRACKERS. AFTER THE FLT; I BROUGHT THE MEALS TO THE FLT OFFICE. I THEN RETURNED TO THE ACFT TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER MEALS ON THE PLANE. THERE WERE 2 MEALS IN THE CHILLER IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE THAT LOOKED A LOT LIKE CREW MEALS. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THEM AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE FIRST CLASS MEALS. EVEN IF THEY WERE; I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY WOULDN'T HAVE OFFERED THEM TO US KNOWING FULL WELL WE HAD MEALS THAT AT BEST WOULD HAVE MADE US SICK IF WE HAD CONSUMED ANY PART OF THEM. THIS IS EXTREMELY DISTURBING. IF THESE MEALS HAD LATER BEEN CHILLED AFTER ALREADY BEEN HOT; I MAY HAVE CONSUMED A PORTION OF THE MEAL BEFORE NOTICING HOW BAD THEY WERE. AS STATED EARLIER; AT BEST; I/WE BOTH WOULD HAVE BECOME EXTREMELY SICK.

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.