Narrative:

Aircraft with 19 passenger aboard departed sea-tac airport. The flight arrived as scheduled at pdx. After the passenger had deplaned, as myself and my first officer were getting off the aircraft, we detected the smell of gasoline emanating from the aft baggage compartment. Further investigation revealed gasoline on the floor of the aircraft. The source of the spill was a box containing a gasoline engine/generator. Its fuel tank was 1/8-1/4 full and we estimated that perhaps as much as 1.5 gals of gas had leaked out of the tank/box and into the aircraft cabin. There were no hazmat labels on the box. It was simply labeled as 'comat' (company material/mail). We notified our dispatch of this occurrence as soon as we discussed the spill and grounded the aircraft in pdx. 19 passenger and 2 crew members were needlessly endangered due to either a lack of knowledge of hazmat regulations and procedures, or a total disregard for them. To prevent future occurrences: continue current hazmat training for airline employees with special emphasis on educating ground and ramp employees. In the commuter airline industry, these people are the lowest paid and experienced, but need to be well-trained to high standards in this area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPLANING IN PDX AFTER FLT FROM SEA, THE FLT CREW DETECTED THE ODOR OF GASOLINE AND DISCOVERED GASOLINE IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT THAT HAD LEAKED OUT OF COMPANY FREIGHT THAT HAD BEEN LOADED IN SEA.

Narrative: ACFT WITH 19 PAX ABOARD DEPARTED SEA-TAC ARPT. THE FLT ARRIVED AS SCHEDULED AT PDX. AFTER THE PAX HAD DEPLANED, AS MYSELF AND MY F/O WERE GETTING OFF THE ACFT, WE DETECTED THE SMELL OF GASOLINE EMANATING FROM THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED GASOLINE ON THE FLOOR OF THE ACFT. THE SOURCE OF THE SPILL WAS A BOX CONTAINING A GASOLINE ENG/GENERATOR. ITS FUEL TANK WAS 1/8-1/4 FULL AND WE ESTIMATED THAT PERHAPS AS MUCH AS 1.5 GALS OF GAS HAD LEAKED OUT OF THE TANK/BOX AND INTO THE ACFT CABIN. THERE WERE NO HAZMAT LABELS ON THE BOX. IT WAS SIMPLY LABELED AS 'COMAT' (COMPANY MATERIAL/MAIL). WE NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCH OF THIS OCCURRENCE AS SOON AS WE DISCUSSED THE SPILL AND GNDED THE ACFT IN PDX. 19 PAX AND 2 CREW MEMBERS WERE NEEDLESSLY ENDANGERED DUE TO EITHER A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF HAZMAT REGS AND PROCS, OR A TOTAL DISREGARD FOR THEM. TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES: CONTINUE CURRENT HAZMAT TRNING FOR AIRLINE EMPLOYEES WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON EDUCATING GND AND RAMP EMPLOYEES. IN THE COMMUTER AIRLINE INDUSTRY, THESE PEOPLE ARE THE LOWEST PAID AND EXPERIENCED, BUT NEED TO BE WELL-TRAINED TO HIGH STANDARDS IN THIS AREA.

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.