Bad smells in flight

[av8tr1]

You're flying a unpressurized cargo airplane single pilot. You are the sole person on board. Cargo loaded. Before startup you notice a significantly bad smell of the eye watering type. Have rampers unload cargo to find the source of the smell. You trace it down to a box that is leaking unknown substance. Box removed, cargo reloaded. You get ready to fire up and notice the smell is still there but you know the offending box has been removed. Do you start up and go or do something else?

Let say you decide to go as you are climbing up to cruise the smell returns but the departure is below mins. Smell is strong enough for O2 mask. What do you do?

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Ask the other guy how B-dubs was last night.

 

[NickH]

When the offending box was removed, I checked to ensure none of the leaked substance remained. A smell later is indicative of a leak from a second box in the same shipment.
I do not fire up with the smell present, or shut down.
After take off, I oxygen up and return.

 

[av8tr1]

Ask the other guy how B-dubs was last night.

Single pilot. You are the sole occupant on board.

 

[av8tr1]

When the offending box was removed, I checked to ensure none of the leaked substance remained. A smell later is indicative of a leak from a second box in the same shipment.
I do not fire up with the smell present, or shut down.
After take off, I oxygen up and return.

Airport is below mins. You can't return.

 

[NickH]

Airport is below mins. You can't return.

Declare. Closest suitable airport. It's a toxic fume event.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Single pilot. You are the sole occupant on board.

Then I wouldn’t leave unless I was 100% ok with what is going on.

I fly for a cargo company that carries a lot of weird stuff. Even at a big company like mine, if the crew isn’t comfortable with a pallet it comes off. I won’t say there aren’t questions afterwards, but as long as you can justify it there’s no problem.

 

[milleR]

You're flying a unpressurized cargo airplane single pilot. You are the sole person on board. Cargo loaded. Before startup you notice a significantly bad smell of the eye watering type. Have rampers unload cargo to find the source of the smell. You trace it down to a box that is leaking unknown substance. Box removed, cargo reloaded. You get ready to fire up and notice the smell is still there but you know the offending box has been removed. Do you start up and go or do something else?

Let say you decide to go as you are climbing up to cruise the smell returns but the departure is below mins. Smell is strong enough for O2 mask. What do you do?

Let's change the context and see if common sense can lead us to a solution.

You're driving a unpressurized vehicle single pilot. You are the sole adult on board. Children loaded. Before startup you notice a significantly bad smell of the eye watering type. Have wife unload children to find the source of the smell. You trace it down to a child that is leaking unknown substance. Child removed, cleaned, reloaded. You get ready to fire up and notice the smell is still there but you know the offending child has been redressed. Do you start up and go or do something else?

As to your second situation, time to declare and land wherever you can.

 

[mikecweb]

Don't depart if you still smell it. Maybe two bad boxes. Whole load could be compromised if you're not sure what it is.

Divert to your takeoff alternate.

Boxes don't bitch, they will kill you though.

 

[Adler]

@Nick, want to tell the story about the fart diversion?

 

[NickH]

@Nick, want to tell the story about the fart diversion?

Different Nick? My farts are joyous!

 

[EIR]

You're flying a unpressurized cargo airplane single pilot. You are the sole person on board. Cargo loaded. Before startup you notice a significantly bad smell of the eye watering type. Have rampers unload cargo to find the source of the smell. You trace it down to a box that is leaking unknown substance. Box removed, cargo reloaded. You get ready to fire up and notice the smell is still there but you know the offending box has been removed. Do you start up and go or do something else?

Let say you decide to go as you are climbing up to cruise the smell returns but the departure is below mins. Smell is strong enough for O2 mask. What do you do?

I find it funny you need to ask a forum this question. Get your lazy ass up out of the seat and clean the nasty residue. Being an adult is hard at times, I know.

 

[av8tr1]

So this actually happened to me recently (obviously). Flying about a ton of cargo. I had some freight loaded from the USPS that was leaking but in a bag we were not authorized to open and inspect (something about a felony to mess with US Mail). And right behind the flight deck. The bag smelled like actual ass juice so I figured a medical test sample (think quest diagnostics) had broken open (Rampers said it smelled like bad fish). So we offloaded the bag which was leaking pretty bad. The rampers "supposedly" inspected everything else. I close up (single pilot) smell still there. I go back to the rampers and had a talk with them. They swear up and down it's just residuals from the original offending bag. I'm on a timeline and got some pressure to go (get there itis real bad but didn't realize till later, no one ever does).

I take off and climbing through 1.5-2k the smell gets worse. I put on the O2 mask. I look to go back but due to the west coast being pretty much on fire the smoke has the approach below minimums. So going back wasn't an option. Only choice was to head elsewhere but the smoke made my destination the only option.

I get to altitude, smell is worse and leaking through the mask. I get on with center and request direct my destination and I am denied. Seattle is in flow control mode. I then request priority handling but clearly state I am "NOT" declaring an emergency, twice just to be sure it's understood. It's just a really bad smell, no emergency. But I gotta get out of this airplane. They give me direct to my destination. And let me keep warp factor 10 in all the way in.

I got asked for fire rescue standing by and declined again stating there is no emergency. Company comes up on company freq and tells me I need to have fire/rescue standing by just to check me out when I land. I let center know that company wants rescue waiting to check me out when I land. I am thinking they will meet me at the ramp and ask a few questions and that would be it. Maybe take a vital or two. (if shes cute maybe I get a date out of it).

NOOOOPEEE.....As I am coming in to land, they have the runway shut down, 5-6 heavies on both sides of the runway holding for me to land. Fire/rescue has everything rolled and waiting to follow me as I touch down. I touch down and taxi with 6 freaking rigs following me. I come to a stop near our area and they surround my aircraft. HAZMAT guys get out and come running towards me in full MOPP 4. I get out of my plane set the chocks and walk over to meet the guys in space suits. Explain the situation. They do their thing. And then come back and give the all clear.

Our DG guys then off load all the stuff, find two boxes the mail bag had leaked on and put the rest on the trunk aircraft. By then most of the liquid has dried and the smell mostly dissipated but people can definitely smell it in the airplane. But it isn't anywhere near as bad as it was upstairs.

Not a word was said to me but I feel pretty ridiculous for all the attention and overreaction. Wasn't in any way an emergency though I didn't know what the smell was. I was pretty sure it wasn't anything dangerous. Just wanted to get some different viewpoints on my decision making. I am second guessing myself.

 

[Roger Roger]

ARFF guys just love an opportunity to play with their toys is all.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

ARFF guys just love an opportunity to play with their toys is all.

I had a hydraulic system leak out and in order to get the long runway (half brakes) we were told we had to declare. They asked if we needed trucks, we said no.

Broke out and found every truck in the DC area waiting for us. It was then where we both realized that we hadn’t made a PA to the people because it really wasn’t a situation that concerned them.

 

[Stone Cold]

I had a hydraulic system leak out and in order to get the long runway (half brakes) we were told we had to declare. They asked if we needed trucks, we said no.

Broke out and found every truck in the DC area waiting for us. It was then where we both realized that we hadn’t made a PA to the people because it really wasn’t a situation that concerned them.

Tier 4!

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Tier 4!

I’m at least double digits. I’ve overachieved to have even made it this far.

 

[NickH]

So this actually happened to me recently (obviously). Flying about a ton of cargo. I had some freight loaded from the USPS that was leaking but in a bag we were not authorized to open and inspect (something about a felony to mess with US Mail). And right behind the flight deck. The bag smelled like actual ass juice so I figured a medical test sample (think quest diagnostics) had broken open (Rampers said it smelled like bad fish). So we offloaded the bag which was leaking pretty bad. The rampers "supposedly" inspected everything else. I close up (single pilot) smell still there. I go back to the rampers and had a talk with them. They swear up and down it's just residuals from the original offending bag. I'm on a timeline and got some pressure to go (get there itis real bad but didn't realize till later, no one ever does).

I take off and climbing through 1.5-2k the smell gets worse. I put on the O2 mask. I look to go back but due to the west coast being pretty much on fire the smoke has the approach below minimums. So going back wasn't an option. Only choice was to head elsewhere but the smoke made my destination the only option.

I get to altitude, smell is worse and leaking through the mask. I get on with center and request direct my destination and I am denied. Seattle is in flow control mode. I then request priority handling but clearly state I am "NOT" declaring an emergency, twice just to be sure it's understood. It's just a really bad smell, no emergency. But I gotta get out of this airplane. They give me direct to my destination. And let me keep warp factor 10 in all the way in.

I got asked for fire rescue standing by and declined again stating there is no emergency. Company comes up on company freq and tells me I need to have fire/rescue standing by just to check me out when I land. I let center know that company wants rescue waiting to check me out when I land. I am thinking they will meet me at the ramp and ask a few questions and that would be it. Maybe take a vital or two. (if shes cute maybe I get a date out of it).

NOOOOPEEE.....As I am coming in to land, they have the runway shut down, 5-6 heavies on both sides of the runway holding for me to land. Fire/rescue has everything rolled and waiting to follow me as I touch down. I touch down and taxi with 6 freaking rigs following me. I come to a stop near our area and they surround my aircraft. HAZMAT guys get out and come running towards me in full MOPP 4. I get out of my plane set the chocks and walk over to meet the guys in space suits. Explain the situation. They do their thing. And then come back and give the all clear.

Our DG guys then off load all the stuff, find two boxes the mail bag had leaked on and put the rest on the trunk aircraft. By then most of the liquid has dried and the smell mostly dissipated but people can definitely smell it in the airplane. But it isn't anywhere near as bad as it was upstairs.

Not a word was said to me but I feel pretty ridiculous for all the attention and overreaction. Wasn't in any way an emergency though I didn't know what the smell was. I was pretty sure it wasn't anything dangerous. Just wanted to get some different viewpoints on my decision making. I am second guessing myself.

Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you did just fine. We all have an experience that teaches us not to trust a word that rampers have to say. This was yours. It sounds like you got the star treatment that you'd have gotten had you declared, so it didn't matter either way. No shame in declaring if you need something and aren't getting it.

 

[NickH]

Also, just to make you feel great, be aware that smells are particulate. If you're smelling brown, that means actual particles of brown are being absorbed by your nose.

You have died of dysentery.

 

[Jordan93]

We had a lady who spilled car gas on her on the way to the airport. We were all boarded up and our FA's and passengers were complaining about a gasoline smell. I went outside and couldn't see any leaks. Our FA's made an announcement and asked if anyone spilled gas on them. No one came forward. We were about to deplane then finally a woman came up and said she spilled gas on her on the way to the airport.