vagabond

What does the stuff smell like? Will it kill you?

SEATAC, Wash. - De-icer fumes have gotten into an aircraft at Sea-Tac International Airport. More than a dozen emergency vehicles have converged on the scene.

The incident happened at gate N7. An undetermined number of passengers are reporting eye irritation and are expected to be transported to area hospitals.

Alec Mashek, a passenger on a neighboring plane says he can see at least 10 fire trucks and at least a half dozen ambulances, some of which are leaving with their sirens on.

According to the Sea-Tac Web site, the flight parked at gate N7 is Flight 528 to Burbank, Calif. It was scheduled to leave at 6:50 a.m., but was marked as delayed to 9 a.m. before the incident.

Paul McElroy with Alaska Airlines confirmed it was flight 528, which was carrying 143 passengers and five crew members. "It was being de-iced in preparation for takeoff, and somehow fumes from the de-icing fluid did get into the cabin," McElroy said. "Passengers were reporting the smell of de-icing fluid and eye irritation, so they have been evacuated from the aircraft and Port of Seattle Paramedics are on the scene now and treating them."

McElroy could not confirm whether anyone was being transported to the hospital, but he has heard that a lot of passengers are denying treatment so they can get to their destination. "I'm sure people are eager to get to their destination, with it being the holiday. Just as soon as people are safe to travel, we'll do our best to re-accommodate them."

De-icer gets into plane | Top Stories | KING5.com | News for Seattle, Washington

ryguy

Sounds a lot like the power of suggestion to me. Type I deicing fluid smells a bit like vinegar but the fumes aren't dangerous. Type IV fluid smells like maple syrup when it burns off in the system. They may bother some people just as nail polish remover or something would. Sounds like they probably started spraying before the crew configured the packs and APU bleed.

UAL T38 Phlyer

Ethylene Glycol is the same as radiator fluid. So, if you imagine spilling Prestone on your engine and smelling the fumes, that is what de-icing fluid smells like after it has gone through a jet engine's compressor and into the cabin.

I think if concentrated enough, it could cause some short-term problems, such as nausea, headaches, mental confusion.

flyandive

Should be pointed out that under normal conditions it is inevitable for some to get in the aircraft, either through the engines/APU or PACK inlets, so it it very common to smell it, but not common to cause them to evacuate the airplane! I think ryguy is right about the configuration.

rickair7777

It would be hard to get enough de-ice fluid into the packs for long enough to hurt people...you'd almost have to drink the stuff.

Could be mass hysteria, or something like a hydraulic leak into the compressor...after getting cooked in the compressors and run through the packs, that stuff is VERY toxic.

vagabond

The funny thing is that Alaska cancelled all flights on Dec 22 because it ran out of de-ice fluid, and now it seems to have more than enough to irritate already irritated passengers, many of whom have been camped at the airport since last Friday.

This is the latest version of the story from the Seattle PI:
De-icer sickens passengers on Alaska flight

DublinFlyer

Type 4 does smell like that... I remember the first time I ever smelled it. Kind of strange isn't it?

Oh I'll be so happy when winter is over!

ryguy

It seems to me that if there was a high enough concentration to really cause a problem then a whole lot more than 18 people would have been affected.

SmoothOnTop

It's not rocket surgery:
Configure Flaps and Trim
Engine and APU Bleeds Off
Packs Off
Brakes Set
De-Ice
Anti-Ice
All Clear
Brakes Release
Taxi Away from the De-Ice Pad, patience please...
Then:
Engine Bleeds On (APU bleeds on if in use)
Wait...
Then:
Packs On
Checklists Complete
Don't Bust your holdover time
Go Flying!

I was commuting on a 75 when the flight crew rushed this process and halfway down the takeoff roll, the fumes caused the mid cabin and aft cabin lav smoke alarms to go off, everybody, including the flight crew smelled it, thankfully they didn't panic, takeoff continued, bad smell eventually went away..

On this Alaska Flight, probably a mass psychosomatic reaction...

Zayghami

UPDATE: 23 Injured In De-Icing Accident At Seattle Airport


I have no jet knowledge or anything but Im thinking that they may have left the pac's open, with the APU running.