Narrative:

Approximately 15-20 mins after takeoff, #1 flight attendant notified cockpit crew of a suspicious object in the small compartment above. The forward coat closet. Investigation by cockpit crew revealed a cylinder (approximately 10' long X 4' diameter) hvyly wrapped in plastic and duct taped to the side and floor of the compartment. We stopped our climb at FL240. We rechked the maintenance logbook and contacted dispatch. We did not find any information about the cylinder in the logbook and dispatch claimed that D/fw maintenance was unaware of any such object on board our airplane. The decision was made to divert to tulsa. We declared an emergency with memphis center and accomplished the 'bomb on board procedures' checklist in accordance with the operating manual. Descent, approach, and landing were uneventful. The 'emergency evacuate/evacuation' checklist was accomplished and all passenger and crew evacuate/evacuationed on the aircraft (tail cone) slide on taxiway B just off the ramp. The tulsa police bomb squad discovered the object was a canister of rain repellent. A detailed search of the maintenance log (after the incident) did indeed reveal a canister had been loaded in amarillo on the flight prior to us picking up this aircraft in D/fw. Recommend: this event was caused by improper loading, packing and incorrect documentation of a suspicious item, and the item was inadvertently left on board the aircraft. Correct loading and documentation would have prevented this incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that no one was injured during the evacuate/evacuation and, as far as he knows, nothing has been done to prevent this from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BOMB SCARE CAUSES EMER EVAC OF ACFT AFTER DIVERTING TO TULSA.

Narrative: APPROX 15-20 MINS AFTER TKOF, #1 FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED COCKPIT CREW OF A SUSPICIOUS OBJECT IN THE SMALL COMPARTMENT ABOVE. THE FORWARD COAT CLOSET. INVESTIGATION BY COCKPIT CREW REVEALED A CYLINDER (APPROX 10' LONG X 4' DIAMETER) HVYLY WRAPPED IN PLASTIC AND DUCT TAPED TO THE SIDE AND FLOOR OF THE COMPARTMENT. WE STOPPED OUR CLB AT FL240. WE RECHKED THE MAINT LOGBOOK AND CONTACTED DISPATCH. WE DID NOT FIND ANY INFO ABOUT THE CYLINDER IN THE LOGBOOK AND DISPATCH CLAIMED THAT D/FW MAINT WAS UNAWARE OF ANY SUCH OBJECT ON BOARD OUR AIRPLANE. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO TULSA. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH MEMPHIS CTR AND ACCOMPLISHED THE 'BOMB ON BOARD PROCS' CHKLIST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPERATING MANUAL. DSCNT, APCH, AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE 'EMER EVAC' CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND ALL PAX AND CREW EVACED ON THE ACFT (TAIL CONE) SLIDE ON TAXIWAY B JUST OFF THE RAMP. THE TULSA POLICE BOMB SQUAD DISCOVERED THE OBJECT WAS A CANISTER OF RAIN REPELLENT. A DETAILED SEARCH OF THE MAINT LOG (AFTER THE INCIDENT) DID INDEED REVEAL A CANISTER HAD BEEN LOADED IN AMARILLO ON THE FLT PRIOR TO US PICKING UP THIS ACFT IN D/FW. RECOMMEND: THIS EVENT WAS CAUSED BY IMPROPER LOADING, PACKING AND INCORRECT DOCUMENTATION OF A SUSPICIOUS ITEM, AND THE ITEM WAS INADVERTENTLY L ON BOARD THE ACFT. CORRECT LOADING AND DOCUMENTATION WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE EVAC AND, AS FAR AS HE KNOWS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.