HIGH-ALTITUDE HAZ MATZ
A Boeing 707 cargo freighter takes off from a major East Coast airport with a full load, bound for Europe (a freighter is a large aircraft that transports cargo only). On board is more than 15,000 pounds of hazardous materials. Most of it is improperly packaged and labeled, and it lacks the proper paperwork. Over the Atlantic Ocean the three-member crew smells and observes smoke coming from the main cargo deck. The captain declares an emergency and sets a return heading for the nearest airport on the mainland United States. They crash land on the airport approach, and if crew, cargo, and aircraft are a total loss. The resulting investigation discovers that several glass jars of nitric acid were packed in sawdust and shipped as ordinary machinery. This strong acid leaked and reacted with the organic sawdust, generating heat and eventually fire.
A crowded passenger aircraft is on a routine flight between two Midwestern airports. The flight attendants and numerous passengers smell a strong chemical odor coming from the rear of the aircraft. Several passengers complain of dizziness and nausea. The captain is notified and the first officer investigates. The first officer reports that it smells like a fuel leak inside the fuselage. The captain declares an emergency and diverts to the nearest airport. Upon landing, the pilots taxi the aircraft off the active runway and immediately start an emergency evacuation. Sixteen passengers suffer back and leg injuries from using the evacuation slides. The resulting investigation indicates that just prior to the flight a passenger had spilled gasoline on his pants while filling up his rental car.
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