ACFT FLYING FROM SWEDEN TO ORD COLLECTS A FILM OF VOLCANIC ASH WHICH REDUCES VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD APPROX 10 PERCENT

Narrative

I FLEW FLT FROM STOCKHOLM TO CHICAGO. ON APCH AT ORD IT SEEMED TO BE VERY HAZY ALTHOUGH THE VISIBILITY WAS 8 MI. AFTER LNDG I CONFIRMED WHAT I HAD SUSPECTED. ALL THE COCKPIT WINDOWS WERE COATED WITH A THIN POWDERY FILM. I HAD NOTICED THIS OCCURRING ON OTHER FLTS BOTH AFTER ARR AND ON ACFT THAT HAD JUST RETURNED FROM EUROPE; AND I WAS LEAVING ON BEFORE THE WINDOWS WERE WASHED. AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE; I OPENED MY SIDE WINDOW; WET MY FINGERS AND WIPED A HOLE IN THE FILM. I WOULD ESTIMATE IT REDUCED VISIBILITY BY AT LEAST 10%. A SAMPLE OF THE RESIDUE COULD BE COLLECTED VERY EASILY FOR ANALYSIS. I AM CERTAIN THAT IT IS VOLCANIC ASH FROM MT PINATUBO (SEE ENCLOSED USA TODAY ARTICLE). I AM NOT ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS THIS ASH WILL HAVE ON ACFT COMPONENTS I.E.; ENGS; AIR CYCLE MACHINES; ETC.; BUT ALSO ON MY AND MY FELLOW CREW MEMBERS HEALTH. OUR RTE OF FLT TOOK US FROM STOCKHOLM TO TRONDHEIM; NORWAY TO JUST N OF ICELAND ACROSS SOUTHERN GREENLAND TO JELCO INTXN; THEN ON A DIRECT LINE TO SAULT SAINTE MARIE THEN TO ORD. FLT DURATION WAS APPROX 8 HRS 45 MINS. WE WERE AT FL350 TO TRM; 370 TO JELCO; THEN 390 TO ORD.