Narrative:

Flight had leveled in cruise wbound when lead flight attendant came into cockpit complaining of a 'fuel like' smell in the cabin. We could smell it faintly as she came through the door but could not identify it. Captain (flying) suggested the flight attendants check the overhead bins and shortly our male flight attendant returned saying he had found the source. A passenger was carrying a compact chain saw (blade and chain removed) in a cardboard box in the overhead bin. The box would not fit upright so the passenger had set it on its side. This apparently allowed fuel/oil mixture in the engine (tank was empty) to seep out into the box and finally the overhead bin as well. We removed the other articles from the bin (2 coats) and covered the box with a damp blanket to keep down the fumes. Other passenger now started to complain about the fumes so I went back to investigate. By now a mixture of fuel and water was dripping out of the overhead onto a passenger seat. We removed the box, now about halfway soaked with fuel to the right rear lavatory along with the towels we used to soak up remaining fuel/water mixture remaining in overhead. We covered the box with a damp blanket, opened the air vents, and propped open the drain to increase airflow. We then locked that lavatory and increased the airflow through the cabin to dissipate the odor. The passenger who owned the chain saw was very cooperative, maybe even embarrassed. He waited for other passenger to deplane before claiming his box. He said he had made an international connection in west palm beach. Security there told him he could carry it on. Since then, he had not had to clear security screening so nothing more was said to him about it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GASOLINE LEAKING FROM OVERHEAD BIN IN ACR MLG ACFT DUE TO PAX CARRY ON OF A 'CHAIN SAW' ENG.

Narrative: FLT HAD LEVELED IN CRUISE WBOUND WHEN LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO COCKPIT COMPLAINING OF A 'FUEL LIKE' SMELL IN THE CABIN. WE COULD SMELL IT FAINTLY AS SHE CAME THROUGH THE DOOR BUT COULD NOT IDENT IT. CAPT (FLYING) SUGGESTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS CHK THE OVERHEAD BINS AND SHORTLY OUR MALE FLT ATTENDANT RETURNED SAYING HE HAD FOUND THE SOURCE. A PAX WAS CARRYING A COMPACT CHAIN SAW (BLADE AND CHAIN REMOVED) IN A CARDBOARD BOX IN THE OVERHEAD BIN. THE BOX WOULD NOT FIT UPRIGHT SO THE PAX HAD SET IT ON ITS SIDE. THIS APPARENTLY ALLOWED FUEL/OIL MIXTURE IN THE ENG (TANK WAS EMPTY) TO SEEP OUT INTO THE BOX AND FINALLY THE OVERHEAD BIN AS WELL. WE REMOVED THE OTHER ARTICLES FROM THE BIN (2 COATS) AND COVERED THE BOX WITH A DAMP BLANKET TO KEEP DOWN THE FUMES. OTHER PAX NOW STARTED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FUMES SO I WENT BACK TO INVESTIGATE. BY NOW A MIXTURE OF FUEL AND WATER WAS DRIPPING OUT OF THE OVERHEAD ONTO A PAX SEAT. WE REMOVED THE BOX, NOW ABOUT HALFWAY SOAKED WITH FUEL TO THE R REAR LAVATORY ALONG WITH THE TOWELS WE USED TO SOAK UP REMAINING FUEL/WATER MIXTURE REMAINING IN OVERHEAD. WE COVERED THE BOX WITH A DAMP BLANKET, OPENED THE AIR VENTS, AND PROPPED OPEN THE DRAIN TO INCREASE AIRFLOW. WE THEN LOCKED THAT LAVATORY AND INCREASED THE AIRFLOW THROUGH THE CABIN TO DISSIPATE THE ODOR. THE PAX WHO OWNED THE CHAIN SAW WAS VERY COOPERATIVE, MAYBE EVEN EMBARRASSED. HE WAITED FOR OTHER PAX TO DEPLANE BEFORE CLAIMING HIS BOX. HE SAID HE HAD MADE AN INTL CONNECTION IN W PALM BEACH. SECURITY THERE TOLD HIM HE COULD CARRY IT ON. SINCE THEN, HE HAD NOT HAD TO CLR SECURITY SCREENING SO NOTHING MORE WAS SAID TO HIM ABOUT IT.

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.