A319
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Physiological - Other
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Aircraft
One hour and fifteen minutes into the flight and leveled at FL370 the aft FA called the flight deck via the interphone system to report that she was smelling a pungent odor in the aft section of the aircraft and that she was made ill by it. I tried to identify exactly what it was that she was smelling but she was unable to give me any helpful description. I called the 'A' FA and asked her to investigate the odor that the aft FA was trying to describe. After fifteen minutes or thereabouts she came back on the interphone and explained that she had gone to the rear of the airplane and that she was also feeling sick. After inquiring of her she advised that her eyes and throat were burning and that she felt dizzy. Again she was unable to identify a precise odor. I proceeded with the suggestion of having medical personnel meeting the aircraft to have all FAs evaluated. The lead FA responded that it was unnecessary to do so. We suggested that the aft FA be put on portable O2 which they did and that she be moved out of the aft aircraft section. After ten more minutes we called back again to verify how she was doing and the O2 seemed to have helped. By now we were 25 minutes from landing. During the arrival cabin prep and the FAs having to clean and clear the cabin for landing all three FAs were back busy in the aft cabin preparing the aircraft for our arrival. With less than 20 minutes left before touchdown I checked with the lead FA once more to see if any passengers had experienced any symptoms of illness and she verified that no one had but that all three of them (FAs) were now feeling very ill with irritated throats; itchy eyes and trouble breathing properly. By now we're 10 minutes from touchdown so we contacted company to have medical personnel meet the aircraft at the gate to evaluate and help our flight attendants. Upon landing with a fast taxi to our gate we were met by paramedics; FBI; maintenance and ground personnel. By the time I had a chance to leave the flight deck and check on my flight attendants I saw the aft FA being carried out on an aisle chair quite incapacitated. The other two FAs also looked flushed and in a great deal of distress. I walked to the back of the aircraft to ascertain for myself what they might have been exposed to and found my FO attending to their needs along with the first responders. As I walked past row 24 of the aircraft a very strong pungent smell; like acid; stopped me on the spot. I also instantly experienced burning of the eyes and throat. I walked back towards the front of the aircraft to see if the smell would change and indeed realized as I walked past row 16 that I could not smell the odor anymore. I turned again toward the rear of the aircraft and walking past row 24 once more was hit by the pungent odor identified earlier. Again my throat and eyes were burning and I saw our maintenance technician who was also trying to identify the odor in the aft galley suffering from the same symptoms I was experiencing. At this time all crew members and maintenance staff left the aircraft so that the proper authorities could investigate.
A319 Captain reported several Flight Attendants were physically affected by unidentified fumes in the aft section of the aircraft. One was sufficiently incapacitated that she was removed by aisle chair at the end of the flight.