FUMES IN CABIN OF A DC9-30 OVER CRL VOR MANDATES THE FLC TO DIVERT TO MKE; WI.

Narrative

APPROX 1 HR AFTER TKOF FROM DCA; IN THE VICINITY OF CRL VOR; #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED A CHEMICAL SMELL IN THE CABIN. AFTER INVESTIGATING AND NOT FINDING THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR; I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO MKE AS A PRECAUTION. DURING THE DSCNT; THE SMELL BECAME STRONGER. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR; DIRECTED THE FO TO DROP THE OXYGEN MASKS; AND REQUESTED MEDICAL HELP AT MKE. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT MKE AND DEPLANED THE PAX TO THE WAITING PARAMEDICS. GOOD CRM AND CREW COM RESULTED IN THIS INCIDENT COMING TO SUCCESSFUL CLOSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT STATED THAT HE HAD GONE BACK IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES THAT WERE MAKING SOME PAX FEEL ILL; LIGHT-HEADED AND NAUSEOUS. EVERYONE COULD DETECT THE FUMES BUT NOT THE SOURCE. THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT A CARRY-ON BAG WAS TO BLAME BUT NOT SO. THE FIRE DEPT MET THE FLT IN MKE AND USED AN ELECTRONIC 'SNIFFER' TO TRACE THE SOURCE BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE PIC ALLEGED THAT THE COMPANY HAS USED A NEW CLEANER ON THE INTERIOR CARPETING THAT MAY BE THE SOURCE OF THE FUMES. THE ACFT WAS PULLED OTS UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AS WAS THE CREW. THE PAX WERE BOARDED ON ANOTHER ACFT RIGHT AWAY AND DEPARTED. THE RPTR FILED A RPT WITH THE COMPANY SAFETY DEPT.