The Australian Transport Safety Bureau did not conduct an
on-scene investigation of this occurrence. The report presented
below was prepared principally from information supplied to the
Bureau.
On 15 January 2005, at about 0915 eastern summer time, an Airbus
A320 aircraft, registered ZK-OJA, with a crew of six and 135
passengers, departed Christchurch, New Zealand on a scheduled
passenger service to Melbourne, Victoria.
During descent, the flight crew noticed a strong, sweet, solvent
smell. They immediately advised the purser who reported that there
was a strong smell in the forward cabin similar to that being
experienced on the flight deck. No abnormal smells were evident in
the main cabin, but there was a strong smell in the rear cabin
similar to that in the forward cabin. A crew member in the rear
cabin reported feeling unwell and nauseous. The flight crew donned
oxygen masks and broadcast a Pan-Pan
transmission1 to air traffic
control.
The flight was completed without further incident.
The aircraft was returned to service following an engineering
examination that found no environmental, mechanical or operational
factors that could have influenced the circumstances of the
occurrence.
1A Pan-Pan
transmission is made in the case of an urgency condition which
concerns the safety of an aircraft or its occupants but where the
flight crew does not require immediate assistance.