Narrative:

Location, concourse security chkpoint mia. Captain and I proceeded to aircraft at concourse gate X for departure. Upon arrival at security chkpoint, a large number of passenger were encountered all attempting to pass through security at the same time. The conveyor belt was jammed and a gaggle rather than a line of people existed at the metal detector. Captain passed through without incident, however, I was held up as an airline employee was attempting to restore order at the chkpoint. She actually had to bang her fist on the conveyor belt several times screaming 'stop the belt now' before the security folks stopped the process. After a few seconds, passenger were realigned outside the chkpoint and were slowly passed through one by one. Later during the cruise one of the flight attendants entered the cockpit and informed us that he detected strong fumes in the cabin. It was shortly determined that a passenger had brought a portable gasoline powered generator along and placed it in an overhead bin. The item had tipped over and began leaking the gasoline. I believe the lack of assistance manning and training at the security chkpoint contributed directly to this incident. Highly suggest a uniformed police officer be stationed at this chkpoint to set the tone of conduct for the flight and to assist security, company and flight personnel with passenger handling. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the airline employee was attempting to restore order at the chkpoint. She actually had to bang her fist on the conveyor belt. The reporter stated he had a total of about 5700 hours, 210 hours in the last 90 days and 3000 hours in the A300. He stated the generator had been brought onto the aircraft in a duffel bag. The gasoline probably did not spill until placed in the overhead rack. He stated he was glad the gasoline did not spill in the cargo compartment. The airline destination was port au prince, haiti.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR WITNESSED CHAOS AT THE SECURITY CHKPOINT ASSOCIATED WITH HIS FLT. A FLT ATTENDANT ALERTED THE RPTR OF GAS FUMES COMING FROM AN OVERHEAD RACK WHICH CONTAINED A GASOLINE ENG POWERED GENERATOR WHICH HAD TIPPED OVER.

Narrative: LOCATION, CONCOURSE SECURITY CHKPOINT MIA. CAPT AND I PROCEEDED TO ACFT AT CONCOURSE GATE X FOR DEP. UPON ARR AT SECURITY CHKPOINT, A LARGE NUMBER OF PAX WERE ENCOUNTERED ALL ATTEMPTING TO PASS THROUGH SECURITY AT THE SAME TIME. THE CONVEYOR BELT WAS JAMMED AND A GAGGLE RATHER THAN A LINE OF PEOPLE EXISTED AT THE METAL DETECTOR. CAPT PASSED THROUGH WITHOUT INCIDENT, HOWEVER, I WAS HELD UP AS AN AIRLINE EMPLOYEE WAS ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE ORDER AT THE CHKPOINT. SHE ACTUALLY HAD TO BANG HER FIST ON THE CONVEYOR BELT SEVERAL TIMES SCREAMING 'STOP THE BELT NOW' BEFORE THE SECURITY FOLKS STOPPED THE PROCESS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, PAX WERE REALIGNED OUTSIDE THE CHKPOINT AND WERE SLOWLY PASSED THROUGH ONE BY ONE. LATER DURING THE CRUISE ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED US THAT HE DETECTED STRONG FUMES IN THE CABIN. IT WAS SHORTLY DETERMINED THAT A PAX HAD BROUGHT A PORTABLE GASOLINE POWERED GENERATOR ALONG AND PLACED IT IN AN OVERHEAD BIN. THE ITEM HAD TIPPED OVER AND BEGAN LEAKING THE GASOLINE. I BELIEVE THE LACK OF ASSISTANCE MANNING AND TRAINING AT THE SECURITY CHKPOINT CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THIS INCIDENT. HIGHLY SUGGEST A UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICER BE STATIONED AT THIS CHKPOINT TO SET THE TONE OF CONDUCT FOR THE FLT AND TO ASSIST SECURITY, COMPANY AND FLT PERSONNEL WITH PAX HANDLING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE AIRLINE EMPLOYEE WAS ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE ORDER AT THE CHKPOINT. SHE ACTUALLY HAD TO BANG HER FIST ON THE CONVEYOR BELT. THE RPTR STATED HE HAD A TOTAL OF ABOUT 5700 HRS, 210 HRS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND 3000 HRS IN THE A300. HE STATED THE GENERATOR HAD BEEN BROUGHT ONTO THE ACFT IN A DUFFEL BAG. THE GASOLINE PROBABLY DID NOT SPILL UNTIL PLACED IN THE OVERHEAD RACK. HE STATED HE WAS GLAD THE GASOLINE DID NOT SPILL IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. THE AIRLINE DEST WAS PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI.

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.