Narrative:

Ground personnel advised that upon opening forward cargo door, strong 'fingernail polish' odor present. They found 1 container that was part of a shipment of 16 containers showing signs of leakage. They opened the container and found a 1/2 empty like container marked 'flammable.' the shipping container was not marked in any way to indicate hazardous cargo, nor was the shipment represented to the company as hazardous. After decontamination, aircraft returned to service. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the company regulations forbid the loading of hazmat in any passenger carrying flight. The reporter said the flight manifest indicated nothing unusual loaded in the cargo compartments. The reporter said after arrival when the station baggage handlers opened the forward cargo compartment door a very strong acetone odor came from the compartment. The reporter said the odor was traced to 1 of 16 unmarked boxes which was leaking. The reporter stated when the box was opened it contained a leaking liter metal can with a 'flammable' label. The reporter stated this station only had contract maintenance and the technician was advised to clean up the liquid which had dripped under the compartment floor which had to be removed. The reporter said the containers were removed and isolated so the reporter was never advised of the contents of the cans. The reporter said the company is reviewing the rule of not carrying hazmat on passenger flight in order to increase revenue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 ON ARR WHEN THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WAS OPENED A HAZARDOUS CARGO SPILL WAS DISCOVERED ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG ACETONE SMELL.

Narrative: GND PERSONNEL ADVISED THAT UPON OPENING FORWARD CARGO DOOR, STRONG 'FINGERNAIL POLISH' ODOR PRESENT. THEY FOUND 1 CONTAINER THAT WAS PART OF A SHIPMENT OF 16 CONTAINERS SHOWING SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. THEY OPENED THE CONTAINER AND FOUND A 1/2 EMPTY LIKE CONTAINER MARKED 'FLAMMABLE.' THE SHIPPING CONTAINER WAS NOT MARKED IN ANY WAY TO INDICATE HAZARDOUS CARGO, NOR WAS THE SHIPMENT REPRESENTED TO THE COMPANY AS HAZARDOUS. AFTER DECONTAMINATION, ACFT RETURNED TO SVC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY REGS FORBID THE LOADING OF HAZMAT IN ANY PAX CARRYING FLT. THE RPTR SAID THE FLT MANIFEST INDICATED NOTHING UNUSUAL LOADED IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENTS. THE RPTR SAID AFTER ARR WHEN THE STATION BAGGAGE HANDLERS OPENED THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT DOOR A VERY STRONG ACETONE ODOR CAME FROM THE COMPARTMENT. THE RPTR SAID THE ODOR WAS TRACED TO 1 OF 16 UNMARKED BOXES WHICH WAS LEAKING. THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE BOX WAS OPENED IT CONTAINED A LEAKING LITER METAL CAN WITH A 'FLAMMABLE' LABEL. THE RPTR STATED THIS STATION ONLY HAD CONTRACT MAINT AND THE TECHNICIAN WAS ADVISED TO CLEAN UP THE LIQUID WHICH HAD DRIPPED UNDER THE COMPARTMENT FLOOR WHICH HAD TO BE REMOVED. THE RPTR SAID THE CONTAINERS WERE REMOVED AND ISOLATED SO THE RPTR WAS NEVER ADVISED OF THE CONTENTS OF THE CANS. THE RPTR SAID THE COMPANY IS REVIEWING THE RULE OF NOT CARRYING HAZMAT ON PAX FLT IN ORDER TO INCREASE REVENUE.

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.