MD80S aircraft predep. Reporter captain found a handicap scooter improperly secured in baggage compa...

Attributes
ACN	365959
Time
Date	199704
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	365959
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On flight apr/mon/97 at tus-dfw, OK333 was delivered to flight in a timely fashion 20 mins prior to scheduled departure. This was fortunate. I had just experienced a similar incident on apr/xx/97, so I proceeded to aft baggage compartment and talked to loading crew and got supervisor involved. After area supervisor researched problem, she agreed that this handicap scooter was improperly loaded. We cooperated, took corrective action, solved the problem, and did not have a delay. This scooter and battery setup was identical to the one on apr/xx/97, flight dfw-den. I feel that 2 incidents of this type in a 3-DAY sequence are somewhat indicative of a training problem with the handling of this type of hazmat. The agents checking the scooters must check compliance with hazmat rules and ensure that they are properly secured, because there is evidence cargo loading crews are not trained or checking the proper loading, or both. I hope these are isolated incidents, but non compliance with securing batteries could result in a dead short of terminals or bare wire ends and result in smoke/fire and aircraft damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80S ACFT PREDEP. RPTR CAPT FOUND A HANDICAP SCOOTER IMPROPERLY SECURED IN BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. RPTR COUNSELED LOADING CREW SUPVR CONCERNING PROPER HANDLING AND SECURING BATTERIES OF HANDICAP CHAIRS.

Narrative: ON FLT APR/MON/97 AT TUS-DFW, OK333 WAS DELIVERED TO FLT IN A TIMELY FASHION 20 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP. THIS WAS FORTUNATE. I HAD JUST EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR INCIDENT ON APR/XX/97, SO I PROCEEDED TO AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND TALKED TO LOADING CREW AND GOT SUPVR INVOLVED. AFTER AREA SUPVR RESEARCHED PROB, SHE AGREED THAT THIS HANDICAP SCOOTER WAS IMPROPERLY LOADED. WE COOPERATED, TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION, SOLVED THE PROB, AND DID NOT HAVE A DELAY. THIS SCOOTER AND BATTERY SETUP WAS IDENTICAL TO THE ONE ON APR/XX/97, FLT DFW-DEN. I FEEL THAT 2 INCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE IN A 3-DAY SEQUENCE ARE SOMEWHAT INDICATIVE OF A TRAINING PROB WITH THE HANDLING OF THIS TYPE OF HAZMAT. THE AGENTS CHKING THE SCOOTERS MUST CHK COMPLIANCE WITH HAZMAT RULES AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PROPERLY SECURED, BECAUSE THERE IS EVIDENCE CARGO LOADING CREWS ARE NOT TRAINED OR CHKING THE PROPER LOADING, OR BOTH. I HOPE THESE ARE ISOLATED INCIDENTS, BUT NON COMPLIANCE WITH SECURING BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A DEAD SHORT OF TERMINALS OR BARE WIRE ENDS AND RESULT IN SMOKE/FIRE AND ACFT DAMAGE.

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.

MD80S aircraft predep. Reporter captain found a handicap scooter improperly secured in baggage compartment. Reporter counseled loading crew supervisor concerning proper handling and securing batteries of handicap chairs.