Narrative:

Subject: flight safety and health safety flying for a commuter airline. 1) the FAA in their infinite wisdom has approved the carrying of animals in the cabin of a cessna 402C model aircraft. This I feel is not only a safety problem but a health problem. 2) enclosed is a copy of the authority/authorized to carry pets not only in the rear of the aircraft but on passenger laps. We enclose a diagram of a cessna 402C aircraft. 3) my question is what would happen if the aircraft was involved in a minor accident? There is a 150 pound dog in the rear, unsecured in a 1G 2G 3G 4G 5G + accident or incident. What would happen to passenger in the way of that moving object? 4) better yet 2 dogs or as seen 2 sheep at 150 pounds each or even 3 dogs. 5) what happens if these animals live after an accident, but because they're hurt, will not let anyone evacuate/evacuation the aircraft or will not let anyone in to help those in need of help? 6) will a leash and a collar secure an animal? Will its head come off in the event of an accident? Do they become large projectiles in what is already a small cabin? Common sense tells us no one can hold on to a 150 pound dog in an accident. 7) now what health factors are there to consider? The cessna 402C has a cabin air system that circulates the air (smell) within the cabin that draws from the area where the larger animals situation. Many times fleas are left in the cabin along with wood ticks and deer ticks seen crawling on the carpet fat and full of blood, could they be carrying the lyme disease. These animals have also been known to leave feces behind on the equipment we need to handle for cargo tie downs. Over the past yr I have spoken with the FAA in burlington, ma. The FAA lawyers in washington and a number of other aviation groups, with no favorable response to correcting this unsafe action. Far part 135.87 is a regulation that covers this and they ignore it. They feel that the death of an animal in any type of mishap is irrelevant. I couldn't get them to understand my concerns about the animals. They are a means of hurting or killing a passenger in an accident due to being a 150 pound flying object. You really don't have to be rocket scientist to understand just what could happen. As a captain it is my responsibility for the passenger safety on my aircraft. And I have been unable to come up with an answer to give these people after the fact (of an incident or accident). I can hear them saying why didn't you tell us this was unsafe. I (the passenger) should have been the one to decide if I should participate after knowing the facts. It's my understanding that money is the driving force behind letting the animals fly this way. In my particular instance, it's been said that if we don't carry them the other airlines will. And they do. Or these passenger will take the boat (we fly to an island). One other point, it is now common practice to carry these animals and at times they are on every plane moved. People should be advised of the safety hazards involved, but they're not. If anything happens I know I will be held responsible. Then there is the lap child. What can I say. Do these people really know how dangerous it is to carry a child on their lap. My advice to many of them is to wear a harness. Some do, most don't. But we still come up with the same problem, what about the safety of the other passenger. This child now becomes a projectile. After it's all said and done, would the child's life be worth the price of a seat. Do the other passenger have the right to also know the dangers with a projectile on board. There is another safety issue. What would happen in the event of an accident if there is a motor vehicle windshield slid down between the seats and the fuselage with no tie downs and people sitting in those seats. This is a regular occurrence mixing passenger and cargo with no way of knowing the load imposed on the seats in the event of an accident or incident. Also the use of the seat pedestals as a way of securing cargo with no specifications, there is no under the seat storage space. Some of these issues could turn a minor unavoidable incident into a major accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROC FOR CARRYING ANIMALS IN THE CABIN OR CARGO AREA OF COMMUTER AIRLINES. RPTR THINKS IT IS A SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARD.

Narrative: SUBJECT: FLT SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY FLYING FOR A COMMUTER AIRLINE. 1) THE FAA IN THEIR INFINITE WISDOM HAS APPROVED THE CARRYING OF ANIMALS IN THE CABIN OF A CESSNA 402C MODEL ACFT. THIS I FEEL IS NOT ONLY A SAFETY PROB BUT A HEALTH PROB. 2) ENCLOSED IS A COPY OF THE AUTH TO CARRY PETS NOT ONLY IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT BUT ON PAX LAPS. WE ENCLOSE A DIAGRAM OF A CESSNA 402C ACFT. 3) MY QUESTION IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT? THERE IS A 150 LB DOG IN THE REAR, UNSECURED IN A 1G 2G 3G 4G 5G + ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO PAX IN THE WAY OF THAT MOVING OBJECT? 4) BETTER YET 2 DOGS OR AS SEEN 2 SHEEP AT 150 LBS EACH OR EVEN 3 DOGS. 5) WHAT HAPPENS IF THESE ANIMALS LIVE AFTER AN ACCIDENT, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE HURT, WILL NOT LET ANYONE EVAC THE ACFT OR WILL NOT LET ANYONE IN TO HELP THOSE IN NEED OF HELP? 6) WILL A LEASH AND A COLLAR SECURE AN ANIMAL? WILL ITS HEAD COME OFF IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT? DO THEY BECOME LARGE PROJECTILES IN WHAT IS ALREADY A SMALL CABIN? COMMON SENSE TELLS US NO ONE CAN HOLD ON TO A 150 LB DOG IN AN ACCIDENT. 7) NOW WHAT HEALTH FACTORS ARE THERE TO CONSIDER? THE CESSNA 402C HAS A CABIN AIR SYS THAT CIRCULATES THE AIR (SMELL) WITHIN THE CABIN THAT DRAWS FROM THE AREA WHERE THE LARGER ANIMALS SIT. MANY TIMES FLEAS ARE LEFT IN THE CABIN ALONG WITH WOOD TICKS AND DEER TICKS SEEN CRAWLING ON THE CARPET FAT AND FULL OF BLOOD, COULD THEY BE CARRYING THE LYME DISEASE. THESE ANIMALS HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO LEAVE FECES BEHIND ON THE EQUIP WE NEED TO HANDLE FOR CARGO TIE DOWNS. OVER THE PAST YR I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE FAA IN BURLINGTON, MA. THE FAA LAWYERS IN WASHINGTON AND A NUMBER OF OTHER AVIATION GROUPS, WITH NO FAVORABLE RESPONSE TO CORRECTING THIS UNSAFE ACTION. FAR PART 135.87 IS A REG THAT COVERS THIS AND THEY IGNORE IT. THEY FEEL THAT THE DEATH OF AN ANIMAL IN ANY TYPE OF MISHAP IS IRRELEVANT. I COULDN'T GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE ANIMALS. THEY ARE A MEANS OF HURTING OR KILLING A PAX IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO BEING A 150 LB FLYING OBJECT. YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO BE ROCKET SCIENTIST TO UNDERSTAND JUST WHAT COULD HAPPEN. AS A CAPT IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PAX SAFETY ON MY ACFT. AND I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO COME UP WITH AN ANSWER TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE AFTER THE FACT (OF AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT). I CAN HEAR THEM SAYING WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THIS WAS UNSAFE. I (THE PAX) SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE TO DECIDE IF I SHOULD PARTICIPATE AFTER KNOWING THE FACTS. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MONEY IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND LETTING THE ANIMALS FLY THIS WAY. IN MY PARTICULAR INSTANCE, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT IF WE DON'T CARRY THEM THE OTHER AIRLINES WILL. AND THEY DO. OR THESE PAX WILL TAKE THE BOAT (WE FLY TO AN ISLAND). ONE OTHER POINT, IT IS NOW COMMON PRACTICE TO CARRY THESE ANIMALS AND AT TIMES THEY ARE ON EVERY PLANE MOVED. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ADVISED OF THE SAFETY HAZARDS INVOLVED, BUT THEY'RE NOT. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I KNOW I WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. THEN THERE IS THE LAP CHILD. WHAT CAN I SAY. DO THESE PEOPLE REALLY KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO CARRY A CHILD ON THEIR LAP. MY ADVICE TO MANY OF THEM IS TO WEAR A HARNESS. SOME DO, MOST DON'T. BUT WE STILL COME UP WITH THE SAME PROB, WHAT ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE OTHER PAX. THIS CHILD NOW BECOMES A PROJECTILE. AFTER IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, WOULD THE CHILD'S LIFE BE WORTH THE PRICE OF A SEAT. DO THE OTHER PAX HAVE THE RIGHT TO ALSO KNOW THE DANGERS WITH A PROJECTILE ON BOARD. THERE IS ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT IF THERE IS A MOTOR VEHICLE WINDSHIELD SLID DOWN BTWN THE SEATS AND THE FUSELAGE WITH NO TIE DOWNS AND PEOPLE SITTING IN THOSE SEATS. THIS IS A REGULAR OCCURRENCE MIXING PAX AND CARGO WITH NO WAY OF KNOWING THE LOAD IMPOSED ON THE SEATS IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT. ALSO THE USE OF THE SEAT PEDESTALS AS A WAY OF SECURING CARGO WITH NO SPECS, THERE IS NO UNDER THE SEAT STORAGE SPACE. SOME OF THESE ISSUES COULD TURN A MINOR UNAVOIDABLE INCIDENT INTO A MAJOR ACCIDENT.

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.