Narrative:

The first officer entered the cockpit after completing the exterior inspection. She reported that ramp employees were loading boxes of lithium batteries into the aft pit of the aircraft. She asked if they had a dangerous goods manifest for the batteries. They replied no; and added that the batteries did not require a dangerous goods manifest. The only label on the boxes were written in chinese except for the words 'lithium batteries;' or 'lithium battery packs;' which were in english. She then asked the ramp employee how many boxes were being loaded. He said about 1000 pounds. The only reference I could find in the fom for the loading of lithium batteries was for personal use on 13.10.16. There also is a reference to a maximum limit of 55 pounds of dangerous goods in an inaccessible compartment. I called dispatch and we agreed that at a very minimum we would need a dangerous goods manifest. I also wanted to determine the maximum amount we could legally carry. The dispatcher said he would call air carrier's dangerous goods to verify what we could legally carry. A ramp employee came to the cockpit and could not answer my questions to my satisfaction; only to say that he 'thought' we could take the batteries and he was 'not sure' whether or not we needed a dangerous goods manifest. He then said they would remove the batteries from the aft cargo pit and place them on a later flight so we would not take a delay. En route; I spoke with dispatch. I told him that ramp wanted to send the batteries on another flight. He spoke to a dispatch shift manager who called airport operations and said they could not load the batteries on another flight until everything was sorted out. That was the last of my involvement in the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500 FLT CREW REFUSES SHIPMENT OF LITHIUM BATTERIES BOARDED WITHOUT A DANGEROUS GOODS MANIFEST.

Narrative: THE FO ENTERED THE COCKPIT AFTER COMPLETING THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION. SHE RPTED THAT RAMP EMPLOYEES WERE LOADING BOXES OF LITHIUM BATTERIES INTO THE AFT PIT OF THE ACFT. SHE ASKED IF THEY HAD A DANGEROUS GOODS MANIFEST FOR THE BATTERIES. THEY REPLIED NO; AND ADDED THAT THE BATTERIES DID NOT REQUIRE A DANGEROUS GOODS MANIFEST. THE ONLY LABEL ON THE BOXES WERE WRITTEN IN CHINESE EXCEPT FOR THE WORDS 'LITHIUM BATTERIES;' OR 'LITHIUM BATTERY PACKS;' WHICH WERE IN ENGLISH. SHE THEN ASKED THE RAMP EMPLOYEE HOW MANY BOXES WERE BEING LOADED. HE SAID ABOUT 1000 LBS. THE ONLY REF I COULD FIND IN THE FOM FOR THE LOADING OF LITHIUM BATTERIES WAS FOR PERSONAL USE ON 13.10.16. THERE ALSO IS A REF TO A MAX LIMIT OF 55 LBS OF DANGEROUS GOODS IN AN INACCESSIBLE COMPARTMENT. I CALLED DISPATCH AND WE AGREED THAT AT A VERY MINIMUM WE WOULD NEED A DANGEROUS GOODS MANIFEST. I ALSO WANTED TO DETERMINE THE MAX AMOUNT WE COULD LEGALLY CARRY. THE DISPATCHER SAID HE WOULD CALL ACR'S DANGEROUS GOODS TO VERIFY WHAT WE COULD LEGALLY CARRY. A RAMP EMPLOYEE CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND COULD NOT ANSWER MY QUESTIONS TO MY SATISFACTION; ONLY TO SAY THAT HE 'THOUGHT' WE COULD TAKE THE BATTERIES AND HE WAS 'NOT SURE' WHETHER OR NOT WE NEEDED A DANGEROUS GOODS MANIFEST. HE THEN SAID THEY WOULD REMOVE THE BATTERIES FROM THE AFT CARGO PIT AND PLACE THEM ON A LATER FLT SO WE WOULD NOT TAKE A DELAY. ENRTE; I SPOKE WITH DISPATCH. I TOLD HIM THAT RAMP WANTED TO SEND THE BATTERIES ON ANOTHER FLT. HE SPOKE TO A DISPATCH SHIFT MGR WHO CALLED ARPT OPS AND SAID THEY COULD NOT LOAD THE BATTERIES ON ANOTHER FLT UNTIL EVERYTHING WAS SORTED OUT. THAT WAS THE LAST OF MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.