Narrative:

Upon first contact with the push crew she informed us that we had a hour [human remains] in the rear baggage compartment that 'reeked of raw flesh and is a horrible smell'. I notified the ca [captain]. He then coordinated with several ramp/load/gate managers to resolve the issue. I was in my manuals trying to find guidance. Cargo procedures manual chapter 'packaging requirements'. I also referenced chapter 'incident reporting'. From there the ca determined it would not be smart nor safe to carry the hour in its current condition. Ramp manager and load manager agreed and hour was removed. The compartment had several other customer bags as well as child strollers. After the hour was removed the flight continued as planned. I am not familiar with embalming procedures. I feel the push/load crew notifying us was the correct thing to do. No suggestions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 737 pilot was advised that human remains aboard the aircraft were not suitable for transport; due to a significant odor emanating from the baggage compartment.

Narrative: Upon first contact with the push crew she informed us that we had a HR [Human Remains] in the rear baggage compartment that 'reeked of raw flesh and is a horrible smell'. I notified the CA [Captain]. He then coordinated with several ramp/load/gate managers to resolve the issue. I was in my manuals trying to find guidance. Cargo Procedures Manual chapter 'Packaging Requirements'. I also referenced chapter 'Incident Reporting'. From there the CA determined it would not be smart nor safe to carry the HR in its current condition. Ramp manager and load manager agreed and HR was removed. The compartment had several other customer bags as well as child strollers. After the HR was removed the flight continued as planned. I am not familiar with embalming procedures. I feel the push/load crew notifying us was the correct thing to do. No suggestions.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.