Narrative:

We arrived off a late inbound flight. After difficulties in pulling paperwork for our next flight; I proceeded to the next airplane. I arrived at the flight deck not long before my first officer turned on an air conditioning pack. Almost immediately after the pack was turned on; I detected the unmistakable odor of hydraulic fumes in the flight deck and I ordered my first officer to turn the air conditioning pack off and to open his window. I also strongly suggested to my first officer; the flight attendant; as well as to our 2 flight deck jumpseaters; to leave the aircraft and move outside to fresh air. I then proceeded to the back of the airplane in order to check on the flight attendants and passenger. According to the flight attendants; there was no odor in the back of the plane they were smelling. As I left the back of the airplane and proceeded back to the front of the plane; a supervisor who had been standing on the aft air stairs informed me that our passenger were preparing to exit the airplane on their own. I went back to check on the passenger and learned that they were smelling hydraulic fumes throughout the cabin and they wanted off the plane; so at that point passenger were instructed to take their belongings and exit the plane. Flight attendants later confirmed they noticed the odor when they walked back through the cabin and their belief is they originally didn't notice the odor since they were in the back of the plane near the exit where there was plenty of outside air ventilation. This is the sixth hydraulic fumes incident I've been involved with since nov/xa/06. It's absolutely absurd that this problem is continuing to persist and it's upsetting to me that the health of me; my fellow crew members; and our passenger is being placed in jeopardy by these repeat exposures. These incidents involving hydraulic fumes need to be corrected and a plan of action needs to be put in place to insure they do not continue occurring. Hydraulic fumes in airplane flight deck and cabin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT REPORTS HYD FUMES WHEN FIRST PACK IS TURNED ON DURING PREFLIGHT. PACK IS TURNED OFF AND PAX ARE DEPLANED.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED OFF A LATE INBOUND FLT. AFTER DIFFICULTIES IN PULLING PAPERWORK FOR OUR NEXT FLT; I PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT AIRPLANE. I ARRIVED AT THE FLT DECK NOT LONG BEFORE MY FO TURNED ON AN AIR CONDITIONING PACK. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PACK WAS TURNED ON; I DETECTED THE UNMISTAKABLE ODOR OF HYD FUMES IN THE FLT DECK AND I ORDERED MY FO TO TURN THE AIR CONDITIONING PACK OFF AND TO OPEN HIS WINDOW. I ALSO STRONGLY SUGGESTED TO MY FO; THE FLT ATTENDANT; AS WELL AS TO OUR 2 FLT DECK JUMPSEATERS; TO LEAVE THE ACFT AND MOVE OUTSIDE TO FRESH AIR. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE IN ORDER TO CHK ON THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. ACCORDING TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS; THERE WAS NO ODOR IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE THEY WERE SMELLING. AS I LEFT THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE AND PROCEEDED BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE; A SUPVR WHO HAD BEEN STANDING ON THE AFT AIR STAIRS INFORMED ME THAT OUR PAX WERE PREPARING TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE ON THEIR OWN. I WENT BACK TO CHK ON THE PAX AND LEARNED THAT THEY WERE SMELLING HYD FUMES THROUGHOUT THE CABIN AND THEY WANTED OFF THE PLANE; SO AT THAT POINT PAX WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THEIR BELONGINGS AND EXIT THE PLANE. FLT ATTENDANTS LATER CONFIRMED THEY NOTICED THE ODOR WHEN THEY WALKED BACK THROUGH THE CABIN AND THEIR BELIEF IS THEY ORIGINALLY DIDN'T NOTICE THE ODOR SINCE THEY WERE IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE NEAR THE EXIT WHERE THERE WAS PLENTY OF OUTSIDE AIR VENTILATION. THIS IS THE SIXTH HYD FUMES INCIDENT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SINCE NOV/XA/06. IT'S ABSOLUTELY ABSURD THAT THIS PROB IS CONTINUING TO PERSIST AND IT'S UPSETTING TO ME THAT THE HEALTH OF ME; MY FELLOW CREW MEMBERS; AND OUR PAX IS BEING PLACED IN JEOPARDY BY THESE REPEAT EXPOSURES. THESE INCIDENTS INVOLVING HYD FUMES NEED TO BE CORRECTED AND A PLAN OF ACTION NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO INSURE THEY DO NOT CONTINUE OCCURRING. HYD FUMES IN AIRPLANE FLT DECK AND CABIN.

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.