Narrative:

Flying charter of firefighters from kotzebue to fairbanks, ak. Upon arrival at fairbanks a group of 4 deplaned prior to our departure to sea. Upon unloading their baggage at fairbanks 2 flares (fuses) and 2 partially filled canisters of gas were found in the front cargo pit. There was no leakage and they were removed. After talking with firefighter supervisors, questioning passenger, and inspecting remaining baggage on the aircraft, we determined the remaining baggage had been properly loaded. We then departed for our destination of sea. The loading of the aircraft at kotzebue had been accomplished by company personnel and supervised by the station manager. Kotzebue is a scheduled city with daily flts in our route system. Although these personnel are trained in proper loading and carrying of restr articles, something broke down and allowed this event to occur. It was also unknown to me that firefighters routinely carry small canisters of fuel for chain saws, etc and that they are instructed to drain and purge fuel and oil from all equipment prior to packing and checking aboard aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: hazardous material was discovered by ground cargo handlers at fai. Rest of cargo was checked, but was ok. The 5 firefighters who deplaned at fai were the ones that had not followed direction. Manager and personnel at otz had given all firefighters direction on hazardous cargo, but with 80 boarding these 5 going only to fai slipped through and did not follow directions. Manager at otz apologized for slip up and has now tightened up procedures. As far as reporter knows, incident has not gone outside of company to FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND PERSONNEL AT INTERMEDIATE STOP FOUND ILLEGAL HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IN CARGO BIN ON MLG FIREFIGHTER CHARTER.

Narrative: FLYING CHARTER OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM KOTZEBUE TO FAIRBANKS, AK. UPON ARR AT FAIRBANKS A GROUP OF 4 DEPLANED PRIOR TO OUR DEP TO SEA. UPON UNLOADING THEIR BAGGAGE AT FAIRBANKS 2 FLARES (FUSES) AND 2 PARTIALLY FILLED CANISTERS OF GAS WERE FOUND IN THE FRONT CARGO PIT. THERE WAS NO LEAKAGE AND THEY WERE REMOVED. AFTER TALKING WITH FIREFIGHTER SUPVRS, QUESTIONING PAX, AND INSPECTING REMAINING BAGGAGE ON THE ACFT, WE DETERMINED THE REMAINING BAGGAGE HAD BEEN PROPERLY LOADED. WE THEN DEPARTED FOR OUR DEST OF SEA. THE LOADING OF THE ACFT AT KOTZEBUE HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY COMPANY PERSONNEL AND SUPERVISED BY THE STATION MGR. KOTZEBUE IS A SCHEDULED CITY WITH DAILY FLTS IN OUR ROUTE SYS. ALTHOUGH THESE PERSONNEL ARE TRAINED IN PROPER LOADING AND CARRYING OF RESTR ARTICLES, SOMETHING BROKE DOWN AND ALLOWED THIS EVENT TO OCCUR. IT WAS ALSO UNKNOWN TO ME THAT FIREFIGHTERS ROUTINELY CARRY SMALL CANISTERS OF FUEL FOR CHAIN SAWS, ETC AND THAT THEY ARE INSTRUCTED TO DRAIN AND PURGE FUEL AND OIL FROM ALL EQUIPMENT PRIOR TO PACKING AND CHKING ABOARD ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: HAZARDOUS MATERIAL WAS DISCOVERED BY GND CARGO HANDLERS AT FAI. REST OF CARGO WAS CHKED, BUT WAS OK. THE 5 FIREFIGHTERS WHO DEPLANED AT FAI WERE THE ONES THAT HAD NOT FOLLOWED DIRECTION. MGR AND PERSONNEL AT OTZ HAD GIVEN ALL FIREFIGHTERS DIRECTION ON HAZARDOUS CARGO, BUT WITH 80 BOARDING THESE 5 GOING ONLY TO FAI SLIPPED THROUGH AND DID NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. MGR AT OTZ APOLOGIZED FOR SLIP UP AND HAS NOW TIGHTENED UP PROCS. AS FAR AS RPTR KNOWS, INCIDENT HAS NOT GONE OUTSIDE OF COMPANY TO FAA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.