Narrative:

Descending into tnca approximately 40 mins from landing, purser informs captain of spillage of nail polish remover in the cabin. States the smell is strong and that they have found the passenger that had it. Purser takes the bottle and holds it till landing. Smell never enters the cockpit. Captain wonders how it got past the tsa. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the smell was discovered to be from a pint can of polish remover leaking from within a passenger carry-on bag. He stated that his military training in explosives included the information that acetone (the primary ingredient in nail polish remover) is very flammable and, when mixed in the proper ratio with ordinary laundry detergent containing naphtha can produce a form of napalm. In the course of our discussion it was discovered from tsa and FAA web sites that the tsa and FAA allow up to 70 oz of 'personal care' items per passenger as long as no single container contains more than 16 oz. We discussed that five persons bent on a terrorist mission (as on 9/11) could legally bring on board nearly three gallons of flammable liquids in this form and that, further, they would be allowed to carry on their person an ignition source in the form of allowable butane type lighters.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B757 ADVISED BY PURSER THAT PAX HAD SPILLED NAIL POLISH REMOVER AND SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FUMES.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO TNCA APPROX 40 MINS FROM LNDG, PURSER INFORMS CAPT OF SPILLAGE OF NAIL POLISH REMOVER IN THE CABIN. STATES THE SMELL IS STRONG AND THAT THEY HAVE FOUND THE PAX THAT HAD IT. PURSER TAKES THE BOTTLE AND HOLDS IT TILL LNDG. SMELL NEVER ENTERS THE COCKPIT. CAPT WONDERS HOW IT GOT PAST THE TSA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE SMELL WAS DISCOVERED TO BE FROM A PINT CAN OF POLISH REMOVER LEAKING FROM WITHIN A PAX CARRY-ON BAG. HE STATED THAT HIS MILITARY TRAINING IN EXPLOSIVES INCLUDED THE INFO THAT ACETONE (THE PRIMARY INGREDIENT IN NAIL POLISH REMOVER) IS VERY FLAMMABLE AND, WHEN MIXED IN THE PROPER RATIO WITH ORDINARY LAUNDRY DETERGENT CONTAINING NAPHTHA CAN PRODUCE A FORM OF NAPALM. IN THE COURSE OF OUR DISCUSSION IT WAS DISCOVERED FROM TSA AND FAA WEB SITES THAT THE TSA AND FAA ALLOW UP TO 70 OZ OF 'PERSONAL CARE' ITEMS PER PAX AS LONG AS NO SINGLE CONTAINER CONTAINS MORE THAN 16 OZ. WE DISCUSSED THAT FIVE PERSONS BENT ON A TERRORIST MISSION (AS ON 9/11) COULD LEGALLY BRING ON BOARD NEARLY THREE GALLONS OF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS IN THIS FORM AND THAT, FURTHER, THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO CARRY ON THEIR PERSON AN IGNITION SOURCE IN THE FORM OF ALLOWABLE BUTANE TYPE LIGHTERS.

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.