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A320 flight crew accidentally discharges the aft cargo fire extinguisher while parked at the gate in ZZZ.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 594071 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| 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 : 14000 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 594071 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : 4 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
We were parked at gate in ZZZ prior to flight on sep/sun/03 when a fire extinguisher for the aft cargo pit was discharged. I was not on the aircraft at the time, although the first officer was on the flight deck. First officer was giving a tour of the cockpit to an elderly man. When the gentleman got out of the copilot seat, he bumped the overhead panel and activated the cargo fire extinguisher for the aft pit though the switch was guarded. The pit was open with 1 ramp person inside. He exited without incident. The ramp person was ok, though shaken a bit. This appears to be a freak accident, though I am not sure that the extinguisher guard is adequate. I do not know how hard the passenger hit the switch or with what part of his body.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLT CREW ACCIDENTALLY DISCHARGES THE AFT CARGO FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE IN ZZZ.
Narrative: WE WERE PARKED AT GATE IN ZZZ PRIOR TO FLT ON SEP/SUN/03 WHEN A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOR THE AFT CARGO PIT WAS DISCHARGED. I WAS NOT ON THE ACFT AT THE TIME, ALTHOUGH THE FO WAS ON THE FLT DECK. FO WAS GIVING A TOUR OF THE COCKPIT TO AN ELDERLY MAN. WHEN THE GENTLEMAN GOT OUT OF THE COPLT SEAT, HE BUMPED THE OVERHEAD PANEL AND ACTIVATED THE CARGO FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOR THE AFT PIT THOUGH THE SWITCH WAS GUARDED. THE PIT WAS OPEN WITH 1 RAMP PERSON INSIDE. HE EXITED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE RAMP PERSON WAS OK, THOUGH SHAKEN A BIT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FREAK ACCIDENT, THOUGH I AM NOT SURE THAT THE EXTINGUISHER GUARD IS ADEQUATE. I DO NOT KNOW HOW HARD THE PAX HIT THE SWITCH OR WITH WHAT PART OF HIS BODY.
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.