Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sitka Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sitka, Alaska 99835
Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:47 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After departure the cabin crew reported to the captain that they were becoming nauseated. The captain noted that the departure was the first flight of the day and that the airplane had been sitting on the ramp overnight connected to an external heating unit. He said that prior to flight the first officer and cabin crew went to prepare the airplane while he remained in the operations center with paperwork. He said the first officer requested the ground crew shutdown the external heater because of exhaust fumes in the airplane's cabin. The first officer started the airplane's auxiliary power unit to provide power and heat to the airplane. The captain said that about 15 minutes later he did not detect any unusual smells or odors, and wiped his hand across seats and surfaces to detect contamination. Finding none, he felt it was safe to continue boarding. He reported that the boarding process was normal, and none of the crew or passengers reported any unusual smells or odors. When the cabin crew reported feeling nauseated, the captain determined that they were 20 minutes from their destination and decided to continue the flight rather than turn back. The captain reported that he and the first officer were symptom free, and that the first officer remained on oxygen for the remainder of the flight as a precaution. Upon arrival the flight crew all tested positive for elevated levels of carbon monoxide. The cabin of the airplane was examined and no traces of carbon monoxide were found. Tests of the ground heating unit found no anomalies, and the heat output hose was tested for CO with negative results. According to the director of safety for the operator, the contamination probably occurred when the morning ground crew started the push-back unit in the proximity of the heater's fresh air intake. As a result, the heating unit has been repositioned away from other operating equipment, and a 20-foot exhaust hose attached. Carbon monoxide detectors are now placed in the operator's aircraft during extended external heater usage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The placement of operating equipment in close proximity to an external heating unit's intake by ground personnel, resulting in the contamination of the airplane's cabin with carbon monoxide.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 12/20/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 747 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Sitka |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99835 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 570250N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1352142W |
| Event Location Airport | Sitka |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PASI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 21 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 88 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 88 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26540 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Anchorage, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 25 2010 12:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N771AS |
| NTSB Number | ANC09IA015 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 737-4Q8 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25104 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 149 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MSA I |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | C/O ANSETT WORLDWIDE AVIATION SER |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW YORK |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 10022 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Alaska Airlines |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Seattle |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | ASAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PASI |
| Departure City | Sitka |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PAJN |
| Destination City | Juneau |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 25 2010 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |