Narrative:

Mem air carrier X ground crew discovered a 'lil rascal' type electric 'wheelchair' improperly stowed in an ATR42 forward cargo hold. (Batteries not disconnected, keys in 'ignition'.) crew was not notified of cargo loaded at stl ramp. Load manifest load remarks section was blank, no verbal report. Stl ramp cargo handlers insufficiently trained and/or working in an unsupervised environment without proper experience. Recommend: hazmat training include pictures of 'lil rascal' type electric wheelchairs, as the item doesn't resemble a wheelchair. Recommend: inexperienced ramp/cargo personnel work in units/teams under direct supervision of an experienced ramp/cargo person, until personnel are reliable and dependable. Recommend: recurrent training and posters and flyers using a picture format are employed to secure safe hazmat procedures. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there was an FAA inspector doing an inspection of the aircraft nearby who was summoned to look at the lil rascal electric wheelchair just unloaded from his aircraft that looked into the matter and said that it was a violation. It was in non compliance with FAA company approved procedures. Reporter also brought to the attention of his aircraft fleet manager. He further stated that even though he and other company flight crew and ground personnel receive hazmat training, he believes that there should be pictures of this type of wheelchair since disassembled, it does not look like a wheelchair.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND HANDLING CREW UNLOADED A 'LIL RASCAL' TYPE ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR FROM AN ATR42 CARGO HOLD THAT DID NOT HAVE THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED AND THE OPERATING KEY WAS IN THE ON- OFF SWITCH. SINCE THIS WAS CONTRARY TO HAZMAT ACFT LOADING PROCS, THIS MATTER WAS CALLED TO THE ATTN OF AN FAA INSPECTOR CONDUCTING A RAMP INSPECTION OF ANOTHER NEARBY ACFT.

Narrative: MEM ACR X GND CREW DISCOVERED A 'LIL RASCAL' TYPE ELECTRIC 'WHEELCHAIR' IMPROPERLY STOWED IN AN ATR42 FORWARD CARGO HOLD. (BATTERIES NOT DISCONNECTED, KEYS IN 'IGNITION'.) CREW WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF CARGO LOADED AT STL RAMP. LOAD MANIFEST LOAD REMARKS SECTION WAS BLANK, NO VERBAL RPT. STL RAMP CARGO HANDLERS INSUFFICIENTLY TRAINED AND/OR WORKING IN AN UNSUPERVISED ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT PROPER EXPERIENCE. RECOMMEND: HAZMAT TRAINING INCLUDE PICTURES OF 'LIL RASCAL' TYPE ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIRS, AS THE ITEM DOESN'T RESEMBLE A WHEELCHAIR. RECOMMEND: INEXPERIENCED RAMP/CARGO PERSONNEL WORK IN UNITS/TEAMS UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION OF AN EXPERIENCED RAMP/CARGO PERSON, UNTIL PERSONNEL ARE RELIABLE AND DEPENDABLE. RECOMMEND: RECURRENT TRAINING AND POSTERS AND FLYERS USING A PICTURE FORMAT ARE EMPLOYED TO SECURE SAFE HAZMAT PROCS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR DOING AN INSPECTION OF THE ACFT NEARBY WHO WAS SUMMONED TO LOOK AT THE LIL RASCAL ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR JUST UNLOADED FROM HIS ACFT THAT LOOKED INTO THE MATTER AND SAID THAT IT WAS A VIOLATION. IT WAS IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH FAA COMPANY APPROVED PROCS. RPTR ALSO BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF HIS ACFT FLEET MGR. HE FURTHER STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH HE AND OTHER COMPANY FLC AND GND PERSONNEL RECEIVE HAZMAT TRAINING, HE BELIEVES THAT THERE SHOULD BE PICTURES OF THIS TYPE OF WHEELCHAIR SINCE DISASSEMBLED, IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A WHEELCHAIR.

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.