These are some of the Fume Events which occurred during May. These were confirmed by ATC recordings or newspaper reports. Many fume events happen each month onboard aircraft but are not published and many are not reported at all.
01 May
Canada Rouge - Airbus A319-100
(From 23 April - Reported 01 May)
Registration: C-GKOB Flight Number: RV1803
Kingston (Jamaica) - Toronto
Odour of dirty socks in the flight deck. Flight crew donned oxygen masks, declared an emergency and diverted to Raleigh-Durham.
‘The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found the APU intake and plenum soiled and cleaned them, the APU condensers and pack #2 were found contaminated as well and were replaced. Both engines were washed.’
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c766a93&opt=0
02 May
Envoy Airlines - Embraer ERJ-135
Registration: N807AE Flight Number: MQ 3386/AA3386
New York LGA - Toronto
Visual smoke in the cockpit. Flight crew donned oxygen masks. Diverted to Syracuse.
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c77c6fb&opt=0
03 May
Spirit Airlines - Airbus A321-200
Registration: N660NK Flight Number: NK 630
Los Angeles - Denver
The aircraft returned to Los Angeles.
‘The FAA reported the aircraft returned to Los Angeles due to fumes in cockpit and cabin’.
‘One person was taken to a hospital’.
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c77c45a&opt=0
Update: 07 May
Aer Lingus - Airbus A320-200
Final Report - Incident In November 2017
Registration: EI-GAL Flight Number: EI 712
Cork - London Heathrow
Smoke in the cockpit. Flight crew donned oxygen masks, declared an emergency and returned to Cork.
‘On May 7th 2019 the AAIU released their final report concluding the probable cause of the serious incident was: Unintended use of the emergency overwing exits, following a return to the departure airport, due to fumes entering the cockpit.’
Unfortunately this investigation focuses on the ‘unintended use of the emergency overwing exits’ by the passengers who misunderstood the instructions from the Captain.
Within the aviation industry the use of the emergency overwing exits is classed as a serious incident - but FUMES IN THE COCKPIT is not classed as a serious incident because it occurs on a regular basis.
https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4b080e93&opt=0
08 May
Spirit Airlines - Airbus
Registration:N665NK Flight Number: NK 170
Las Vegas - Minneapolis
‘Spirit Flight 170 was taxiing on the runway about to depart for Minneapolis when passengers noticed a smell resembling oil onboard’.
The aircraft returned to to the departure gate and according to the news report 15 people requested medical attention.
https://www.ktnv.com/news/15-people-sick-on-spirit-airlines-flight-about-to-take-off-at-mccarran?fbclid=IwAR3612s9Ad795VFNrJvnSfw7g810lhHWDxdIlp9OM4k_301tOXPqDfhjl54
Update: 08 May 2019
SpiceJet - De Havilland Dash 8-400
Registration: VT-SUM Flight Number: SG1096
Hyderabad- Jabalpur
Final Report from investigation of occurrence in November 2017:
‘The incident occurred as No. 3 Bearing Carbon Seal failed in service resulting in oil leak into the gas path causing oil fumes getting into the aircraft cabin through the Bleed Off Valves.’
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c7af254&opt=0
08 May
Joon - Air France - Airbus A340-300
Registration: F-GLZP Flight Number: AF 218
Paris CDG - Mumbai
Diverted to Isfahan (Iran)
‘The airline initially reported ‘security reasons’ as the cause for the diversion, subsequently reported a “malfunctioning ventilation circuit”. ‘
https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4c7b1170&opt=0
https://hursts.org.uk/airbus-technical/html/ar01s05.html
09 May
SAS - Scandinavian Airlines - Airbus A320-200
Registration: OY-KAR Flight Number: SK2151
Stockholm - Gothenburg
Smoke onboard following initiation of a go around.
https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4c7bbff7&opt=0
09 May
Austrian Airlines - De Havilland Dash 8-400
Registration: OE-LGC Flight Number: OS 186
Stuttgart - Vienna
‘Odour related to engine oil in the cockpit. The crew donned their oxygen masks, one of the two cabin crew donned her smoke hood. The aircraft returned to Stuttgart’.
(What protection was there for the passengers? - None!)
The airline reported - ‘The cause of this odour was the leakage of a small quantity of oil’.
https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4c812eff&opt=0
10 May
Alaska Airlines - Airbus A320-200
Registration: N635VA Flight Number: AS1154
Portland - Santa Ana
Diverted to Los Angeles due to a strong ‘odour’ originating from the back of the cabin.
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/plastic-smell-on-plane-causes-flight-to-divert.html#.XNdfmUno3q0.twitter
https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4c7d2836&opt=0
17 May
British Airways - Airbus A319-100
Registration: G-DBCA. Flight Number: BA2541
Rome Fiumicino - London Gatwick
Diverted to Lyon reporting an electrical burning odour in the cabin.
https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4c81dba5&opt=0
18 May
Air Canada - Boeing 787-8
Registration: G-GHPX Flight Number: AC 548
Vancouver - Newark NJ
Odour of smoke followed by visible smoke in the cabin. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found a fault with the lower right recirculating fan. (Electrical fumes).
This was not a bleed-air Fume Event, but it should be noted that electrical fumes are harmful to human health also.
https://avherald.com/h?article=4c87a3e2&opt=0
19 May
NewGen Airways - Boeing 737-800
Registration: HS-NGE Flight Number: E3-865
Bangkok Dong Muang - Wuxi (China)
Dense smoke in the cabin. Returned to Bangkok.
https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4c8325ec&opt=0
21 May
El Al - Aircraft Unknown
Registration: Unknown Flight Number: LY 363
Tel Aviv - Vienna
Diverted to Larnaca. Burning smell in the passenger compartment.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263507
https://www.visionsafe.com/recent-smoke-in-the-cockpit-events/
Source: visionsafe.com
25th May
Air Caraibes - Avions De Transport Regional ATR 72-212A
Registration: F-OIXL Flight Number: TX 421
Pointe-a-Pitre - Santo Domingo
Bang from Left Hand engine. Engine shut down. Smoke developed in the cabin.
Returned to Pointe-a-Pitre.
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c86ef3d&opt=0
26th May
Norra Nordic Regional Airlines - Avions de Transport ATR 72-212A
(On behalf of Finnair)
Registration: OH-ATF Flight Number: AY 834
Stockholm Bromma - Helsinki
On approach to Helsinki there was the smell of smoke onboard. A rapid disembarkation via the aircraft stairs was performed and passengers bussed to the terminal.
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c86ea76&opt=0
29th May
Air Baltic - Boeing 737-300
Registration: YL-BBJ Flight Number: BT 495
Riga - Rijeka
Smell of ammonia onboard. Returned to Riga.A number of crew reported ill, a number of passengers vomited and showed eye irritations. The injured were treated by paramedics.
The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Riga for about 21 hours then performed a test flight without any findings and performed the rotation BT 627/BT 628 of May 30th 2019 to Venice however, suffered another smell event and was grounded in Riga. No source of the odour was identified.
https://avherald.com/h?article=4c88ea47&opt=0