A SAAB 340B IN CRUISE AT 10000 FT REQUESTED PRIORITY DSCNT AND DIVERTED DUE TO STRONG CHEMICAL FUMES IN THE PAX CABIN CAUSED BY LEAKING FLUID FROM A PAX CARRY ON PACKAGE.

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WHILE CRUISING ENRTE TO MIDLAND; TX; FROM DFW ON ACR FLT XYZ; THE CAPT RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT CONCERNING A BOX LEAKING PAINT THINNER OR SOME OTHER; AS YET; UNVERIFIED PRODUCT. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AT THE TIME. THE CAPT HAD ME XFER ACFT CTL AND GO INVESTIGATE. I APCHED THE PAX. HE INFORMED THAT THE LEAKING LIQUID WAS CLR URETHANE (A DERIVATIVE OF CARBAMIC ACID; NH2COOR). HE WAS VERY SORRY FOR THE STRONG FUMES AND HAD BROUGHT THE BOX FROM ONT; CA; THROUGH DFW AND NOW ENRTE TO MIDLAND; TX. I HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT PUT THE TAPED BOX IN A PLASTIC BAG. UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT; WHERE THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUMES; I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE SHOULD LAND ASAP AT ABILENE. I PUT ON MY OXYGEN MASK AS A PRECAUTION. WE HAD NO CHKLIST FOR FUMES IN THE PAX CABIN. WE LANDED 20 MINS LATER; DEPLANED ALL PAX AND HAD MAINT PERSONNEL REMOVE THE BOX FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE BOX CONTAINED SEVERAL CANS AND A PAINT GUN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN SENT BACK TO THE PAX CABIN BY THE CAPT; THE RPTR NOTED THE STRONG FUMES. THE RPTR SAID THE PAX WAS COOPERATIVE AND EXPLAINED THE NATURE OF THE CHEMICALS (URETHANE) BUT COULD NOT ADVISE THE RPTR IF THE CHEMICAL WAS COMBUSTIBLE. THE RPTR STATED THE CHEMICAL HAD LEAKED ONTO THE SEAT CUSHION AND THOROUGHLY SOAKED THE CUSHION. THE RPTR SAID ON LNDG THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS AND A PLANE CHANGE WAS MADE TO CONTINUE THE FLT. THE RPTR SAID THE PAX WAS DETAINED BY THE TERMINAL AUTHS.