Airport terminal security -- an air carrier en route discovers that a passenger has compressed propa...

Attributes
ACN	312446
Time
Date	199508
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	312446
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Approximately 1/2 into otherwise uneventful flight, flight attendant entered cockpit to advise she could smell odd smell from rows 12-15, possibly from cargo compartment. Said it maybe was some type of fuel smell. I told her to investigate to find possible source of smell. She came back and wanted first officer to help a little bit. First officer was sent to help. The odor was very, very strong as reported by first officer. Flight attendant then found source, 2 bottles of compressed propane, belonging to a passenger. Took bottles into possession and secured into galley. 1 of these bottles was leaking gas. About 15 mins later, more intense odors were coming from passenger carry-on luggage. Now were found kerosene leaking all over and soaking his bag. Again, this was taken and separated from gas bottles. By this time we had started high speed descent into sdq. Straight-in ILS runway 17. Operations at sdq were advised to meet aircraft with security. I am happy to say that everything was handled by the utmost professionalism by the first officer, cabin crew and sdq operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT TERMINAL SECURITY -- AN ACR ENRTE DISCOVERS THAT A PAX HAS COMPRESSED PROPANE AND LIQUID KEROSENE IN HIS, SUPPOSEDLY, SCREENED CARRY-ON LUGGAGE.

Narrative: APPROX 1/2 INTO OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL FLT, FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED COCKPIT TO ADVISE SHE COULD SMELL ODD SMELL FROM ROWS 12-15, POSSIBLY FROM CARGO COMPARTMENT. SAID IT MAYBE WAS SOME TYPE OF FUEL SMELL. I TOLD HER TO INVESTIGATE TO FIND POSSIBLE SOURCE OF SMELL. SHE CAME BACK AND WANTED FO TO HELP A LITTLE BIT. FO WAS SENT TO HELP. THE ODOR WAS VERY, VERY STRONG AS RPTED BY FO. FLT ATTENDANT THEN FOUND SOURCE, 2 BOTTLES OF COMPRESSED PROPANE, BELONGING TO A PAX. TOOK BOTTLES INTO POSSESSION AND SECURED INTO GALLEY. 1 OF THESE BOTTLES WAS LEAKING GAS. ABOUT 15 MINS LATER, MORE INTENSE ODORS WERE COMING FROM PAX CARRY-ON LUGGAGE. NOW WERE FOUND KEROSENE LEAKING ALL OVER AND SOAKING HIS BAG. AGAIN, THIS WAS TAKEN AND SEPARATED FROM GAS BOTTLES. BY THIS TIME WE HAD STARTED HIGH SPD DSCNT INTO SDQ. STRAIGHT-IN ILS RWY 17. OPS AT SDQ WERE ADVISED TO MEET ACFT WITH SECURITY. I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING WAS HANDLED BY THE UTMOST PROFESSIONALISM BY THE FO, CABIN CREW AND SDQ OPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Airport terminal security -- an air carrier en route discovers that a passenger has compressed propane and liquid kerosene in his, supposedly, screened carry-on luggage.