Narrative:

This incident, of which I am writing, involves my experience during the exterior inspection of air carrier flight XXX, on jan/sat/96. While inspecting beneath the baggage bin (rear) I picked up a small box from the ground because I thought it might pose a foreign object damage or tire damage problem. Upon completion of my walkaround, I looked for a trash container at the top of the jetway stairs. As I did this the box was turned over and I read the label. It read 'anthrax spore vaccine.' my hand was now wet from the box but the ground was wet in spots, from the earlier rain. (By now I had shaken the box and determined that there was something inside.) the box was put down on the jetway. I washed my hands, covered them with latex gloves, and went out to see if more of these boxes were on the ground or in the bin. I found none. My first reaction was what danger had I stumbled into, then, were there more on this flight? My conclusion was that this box (which I now recognized as a hypodermic vial box) was not on the ground long because it was not wet enough. Next I contacted the gate agent, supervisor, and area red coat. Air freight was queried and had no record of anything like this on board. As time ticked by and pushback was imminent the company nurse was queried and delineated to me some of the effects anthrax might produce. These didn't agree with my recollection from military training yrs prior. Someone had taken the vial to her office and she determined it had not been breached. From her synopsis I couldn't have been infected or contagious. Upon returning from the trip I called the cdc in atlanta. The doctor to whom I spoke was emphatic that I should not have any such material in my possession (only 2 agencies in the southeast should). She also informed me that in this form it would only be harmful with contact on an open cut. However, if airborne, it was another matter and dangerous. With the cabin air recirculating system on the B757 I think all on board would be at risk. We fly with dangerous goods all the time and I feel that the precautions that have been taken make it safe. This vial did not seem to be part of a shipment and thus no precautions were taken. After watching a tv program on feb/sun/96 and their piece on terrorist activity with germ (specifically anthrax) and chemical attacks, I recalled my experience on jan/sat/96. I believe there should be a much more timely way to track and inform crews about this specific type of activity. There was a short history leading up to the tokyo subway attack. We have check for guns and explosives, but this could be a new twist and I don't think the airline industry is ready. Could this be the forerunner of things to come? Maybe we should begin to address this now! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after several attempts ASRS was able to contact the reporter. The reporter stated that the vial of anthrax spore vaccine was left in his company's nurse's office and he has never found out what happened after that. He filed a union safety report and also contacted his chief pilot regarding the incident. He has since found out that if the vial was opened or broken, it could have been disastrous. He still cannot believe that something so dangerous was just left on the ramp and no one knows where it came from or where it went.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING WALKAROUND THE FO FOUND A BOX ON THE GND UNDER THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT LABELED TO BE CONTAINING ANTHRAX SPORE VACCINE BUT NOT LABELED AS HAZMAT. THE FO TURNED IT IN TO THE COMPANY AND CHKED TO ASSURE THERE WAS NOT ANY MORE ON THE AIRPLANE.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT, OF WHICH I AM WRITING, INVOLVES MY EXPERIENCE DURING THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION OF ACR FLT XXX, ON JAN/SAT/96. WHILE INSPECTING BENEATH THE BAGGAGE BIN (REAR) I PICKED UP A SMALL BOX FROM THE GND BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT MIGHT POSE A FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE OR TIRE DAMAGE PROB. UPON COMPLETION OF MY WALKAROUND, I LOOKED FOR A TRASH CONTAINER AT THE TOP OF THE JETWAY STAIRS. AS I DID THIS THE BOX WAS TURNED OVER AND I READ THE LABEL. IT READ 'ANTHRAX SPORE VACCINE.' MY HAND WAS NOW WET FROM THE BOX BUT THE GND WAS WET IN SPOTS, FROM THE EARLIER RAIN. (BY NOW I HAD SHAKEN THE BOX AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING INSIDE.) THE BOX WAS PUT DOWN ON THE JETWAY. I WASHED MY HANDS, COVERED THEM WITH LATEX GLOVES, AND WENT OUT TO SEE IF MORE OF THESE BOXES WERE ON THE GND OR IN THE BIN. I FOUND NONE. MY FIRST REACTION WAS WHAT DANGER HAD I STUMBLED INTO, THEN, WERE THERE MORE ON THIS FLT? MY CONCLUSION WAS THAT THIS BOX (WHICH I NOW RECOGNIZED AS A HYPODERMIC VIAL BOX) WAS NOT ON THE GND LONG BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WET ENOUGH. NEXT I CONTACTED THE GATE AGENT, SUPVR, AND AREA RED COAT. AIR FREIGHT WAS QUERIED AND HAD NO RECORD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS ON BOARD. AS TIME TICKED BY AND PUSHBACK WAS IMMINENT THE COMPANY NURSE WAS QUERIED AND DELINEATED TO ME SOME OF THE EFFECTS ANTHRAX MIGHT PRODUCE. THESE DIDN'T AGREE WITH MY RECOLLECTION FROM MIL TRAINING YRS PRIOR. SOMEONE HAD TAKEN THE VIAL TO HER OFFICE AND SHE DETERMINED IT HAD NOT BEEN BREACHED. FROM HER SYNOPSIS I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN INFECTED OR CONTAGIOUS. UPON RETURNING FROM THE TRIP I CALLED THE CDC IN ATLANTA. THE DOCTOR TO WHOM I SPOKE WAS EMPHATIC THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY SUCH MATERIAL IN MY POSSESSION (ONLY 2 AGENCIES IN THE SE SHOULD). SHE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT IN THIS FORM IT WOULD ONLY BE HARMFUL WITH CONTACT ON AN OPEN CUT. HOWEVER, IF AIRBORNE, IT WAS ANOTHER MATTER AND DANGEROUS. WITH THE CABIN AIR RECIRCULATING SYS ON THE B757 I THINK ALL ON BOARD WOULD BE AT RISK. WE FLY WITH DANGEROUS GOODS ALL THE TIME AND I FEEL THAT THE PRECAUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN MAKE IT SAFE. THIS VIAL DID NOT SEEM TO BE PART OF A SHIPMENT AND THUS NO PRECAUTIONS WERE TAKEN. AFTER WATCHING A TV PROGRAM ON FEB/SUN/96 AND THEIR PIECE ON TERRORIST ACTIVITY WITH GERM (SPECIFICALLY ANTHRAX) AND CHEMICAL ATTACKS, I RECALLED MY EXPERIENCE ON JAN/SAT/96. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A MUCH MORE TIMELY WAY TO TRACK AND INFORM CREWS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF ACTIVITY. THERE WAS A SHORT HISTORY LEADING UP TO THE TOKYO SUBWAY ATTACK. WE HAVE CHK FOR GUNS AND EXPLOSIVES, BUT THIS COULD BE A NEW TWIST AND I DON'T THINK THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY IS READY. COULD THIS BE THE FORERUNNER OF THINGS TO COME? MAYBE WE SHOULD BEGIN TO ADDRESS THIS NOW! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS ASRS WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE RPTR. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE VIAL OF ANTHRAX SPORE VACCINE WAS LEFT IN HIS COMPANY'S NURSE'S OFFICE AND HE HAS NEVER FOUND OUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT. HE FILED A UNION SAFETY RPT AND ALSO CONTACTED HIS CHIEF PLT REGARDING THE INCIDENT. HE HAS SINCE FOUND OUT THAT IF THE VIAL WAS OPENED OR BROKEN, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. HE STILL CANNOT BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING SO DANGEROUS WAS JUST LEFT ON THE RAMP AND NO ONE KNOWS WHERE IT CAME FROM OR WHERE IT WENT.

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.