<< >> NASA ASRS Report 582604, May 2003

B737 cabin crew observes passenger smoke in the aft lavatory. The smoke detector was malfunctioning and did not detect the smoke.

Attributes
ACN	582604
Time
Date	200305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc tracon : p80.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	582604
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	582605
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

A passenger smoked in the aft lavatory. We did not realize that the smoke detector was inoperative. He was caught because of the heavy smoke. The aft lavatory smoke detector did not sound. We on the flight deck were not in the loop as to what actually happened due to the quick flight and short time to communicate with the flight attendants. We were about to descend at the time of the event. We only just found out that we had flown 2 more legs with an aft lavatory smoke detector that was inoperative. We believed the flight attendants had checked the smoke detector, as asked. We believed we had followed all procedures and, in fact, that was not correct.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CABIN CREW OBSERVES PAX SMOKE IN THE AFT LAVATORY. THE SMOKE DETECTOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND DID NOT DETECT THE SMOKE.

Narrative: A PAX SMOKED IN THE AFT LAVATORY. WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE SMOKE DETECTOR WAS INOP. HE WAS CAUGHT BECAUSE OF THE HVY SMOKE. THE AFT LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR DID NOT SOUND. WE ON THE FLT DECK WERE NOT IN THE LOOP AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED DUE TO THE QUICK FLT AND SHORT TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. WE WERE ABOUT TO DSND AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. WE ONLY JUST FOUND OUT THAT WE HAD FLOWN 2 MORE LEGS WITH AN AFT LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR THAT WAS INOP. WE BELIEVED THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD CHKED THE SMOKE DETECTOR, AS ASKED. WE BELIEVED WE HAD FOLLOWED ALL PROCS AND, IN FACT, THAT WAS NOT CORRECT.

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.