Date: 201906
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Takeoff / Launch
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant In Charge
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Physiological - Other
Anomaly: Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Detector: Person Flight Crew; Person Flight Attendant; Person Passenger
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: Immediately after takeoff from ZZZ; I was sitting in back as the B position Flight Attendant and I smelt fumes that I had never smelled in my entire career before. I jumped out of my jump seat to investigate where the origin of the fumes may be coming from and looked out passenger window to make certain the engines were not on fire even though this smell was not of that nature. I didn't see anything. I did not see any smoke. I tried to locate the source of fumes by smelling the vents in galley and lavatory as well but found nothing. I looked to forward cabin and noticed the C Flight Attendant motioning me to pick up the handset. I picked up the handset and she told me she smelled fumes up front cabin as well. With the two of us on the handset we called the Captain and he also confirmed that the pilots both smelled the fumes up in cockpit as well. He told us if the fumes got any worse; to call him back. Within a minute or two later I couldn't breathe in the back cabin and was chugging water to keep my throat open to even breathe. I also got wet paper towels to cover my nose and mouth even though I could not see fumes. My throat and chest were burning; and I had a pounding headache and was coughing profusely. I immediately called the Captain and told him what was happening; and he told me that they were already in an [priority] landing pattern back into ZZZ and it would be another 5-10 before we were back on the ground. Before our Captain made an announcement to our passengers; I noticed that some of our passengers had emergency briefing cards already in their laps. We were back on ground in ZZZ about 10 minutes later. We stopped abruptly on the runway and were surrounded by many emergency vehicles. Our Captain made announcements to all passengers to remain seated loudly 4 times and listen to the commands of the flight attendants. We ended up going back to gate and deplaning all passengers at gate. The Fire Department came onboard and checked out the aircraft after we exited the aircraft. As a crew we all were feeling horrible and many symptoms and all the same symptoms simultaneously. Headache; nausea; burning in throat; burning in chest; dizziness; faint; shortness of breath; coughing; numbness in extremities; etc. Our Captain had the entire crew pulled from the flight duties and we all went to the hospital together to get checked out medically for anything we may have ingested as far as fumes that were making us feel so poorly. I do not know how the passengers were treated in regards to this situation. I commend the Captain and First Officer both on how they handled this situation. They were both remarkable.




Synopsis: B737 Flight Attendant reported strong fumes shortly after takeoff which were confirmed with the pilots and resulted in a return to departure airport. Crew were treated at local hospital.