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A DC10 on taxi out questioned if a wheelchair with a gel cell battery can be stowed in a cabin coat closet.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 430429 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other |
| ASRS Report | 430429 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
While taxiing out, flight called dispatcher on VHF to inquire about hazmat form which indicated a wheelchair with a gel-cell battery was stowed in a coat closet. I called our 'overseas' ramp department for information and they called the flight on VHF and advised the crew the wheelchair was stowed properly and 'ok' at that location. Later I had time to research and found that battery pwred wheelchairs can be accepted 'as checked baggage only.' I believe this means stowed in the cargo compartment, not in the passenger compartment. Since our overseas ramp department is responsible for loading and completing hazmat forms, I assumed they were correct. Possibly the airline 'fom' and 'IATA dangerous goods regulations' pubs are not clear in what 'as checked baggage only' means.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC10 ON TAXI OUT QUESTIONED IF A WHEELCHAIR WITH A GEL CELL BATTERY CAN BE STOWED IN A CABIN COAT CLOSET.
Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT, FLT CALLED DISPATCHER ON VHF TO INQUIRE ABOUT HAZMAT FORM WHICH INDICATED A WHEELCHAIR WITH A GEL-CELL BATTERY WAS STOWED IN A COAT CLOSET. I CALLED OUR 'OVERSEAS' RAMP DEPT FOR INFO AND THEY CALLED THE FLT ON VHF AND ADVISED THE CREW THE WHEELCHAIR WAS STOWED PROPERLY AND 'OK' AT THAT LOCATION. LATER I HAD TIME TO RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIRS CAN BE ACCEPTED 'AS CHKED BAGGAGE ONLY.' I BELIEVE THIS MEANS STOWED IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT, NOT IN THE PAX COMPARTMENT. SINCE OUR OVERSEAS RAMP DEPT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOADING AND COMPLETING HAZMAT FORMS, I ASSUMED THEY WERE CORRECT. POSSIBLY THE AIRLINE 'FOM' AND 'IATA DANGEROUS GOODS REGS' PUBS ARE NOT CLR IN WHAT 'AS CHKED BAGGAGE ONLY' MEANS.
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.