Narrative:

We were a scheduled flight from phx to flg at XX00 local. When we arrived at flg, ground agent informed us that the aircraft may have had corrosive onboard the aircraft in the cargo bay. The cargo was loaded by rampers in phx. As PIC I noticed the cargo and did not see any hazardous symbols on them. They were intact in phx and damaged by the time they were off-loaded in flg. I feel more passenger awareness about hazardous material should be done by companies to inform passenger on what cannot be carried on airplanes. Airline employees should be more informed on hazardous material also. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain stated that he only learned from the company ground personnel after the fact since the aircraft was off-loaded after he had deplaned. However, he did notice the apparent cargo come out to the aircraft for loading in phx and did not notice any hazardous material labels. He was told that the cargo was a battery in a self sealing container that apparently had leaked. It was not known if it was damaged en route from lax to phx or on the ground between those points during loading, or if the container was faulty when accepted at lax. However, because of this incident, the company has provided more detailed hazardous material training to ground crew and made the flight crew also aware of this training and procedures. He also stated that the FAA FSDO office had investigated this incident. The aircraft was a beechcraft model 1900D aircraft and the cargo was placed in the aft cargo compartment. He was not advised of the hazardous material or its location on the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 336367: arrived in phx from flg at XX40 local time. Flg had called advising of a liquid spill in aft cargo area. The ramp supervisor and myself washed with water an area which looked to be affected. We sniffed around and found the aircraft safe for further flts. We made a trip from phx to dro and returned to phx. Descending into the warm air in the phx area brought out the smell of whatever was spilled. Arriving in phx I grounded the aircraft. The aircraft was ferried to fmn for further cleanup and inspection. I am concerned that I should have grounded it prior to the dro round trip. Next time I will ground the aircraft and immediately report it to the hazardous material crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND HANDLERS FOUND HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL DURING UNLOADING OF AN LTT.

Narrative: WE WERE A SCHEDULED FLT FROM PHX TO FLG AT XX00 LCL. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT FLG, GND AGENT INFORMED US THAT THE ACFT MAY HAVE HAD CORROSIVE ONBOARD THE ACFT IN THE CARGO BAY. THE CARGO WAS LOADED BY RAMPERS IN PHX. AS PIC I NOTICED THE CARGO AND DID NOT SEE ANY HAZARDOUS SYMBOLS ON THEM. THEY WERE INTACT IN PHX AND DAMAGED BY THE TIME THEY WERE OFF-LOADED IN FLG. I FEEL MORE PAX AWARENESS ABOUT HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SHOULD BE DONE BY COMPANIES TO INFORM PAX ON WHAT CANNOT BE CARRIED ON AIRPLANES. AIRLINE EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE MORE INFORMED ON HAZARDOUS MATERIAL ALSO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT STATED THAT HE ONLY LEARNED FROM THE COMPANY GND PERSONNEL AFTER THE FACT SINCE THE ACFT WAS OFF-LOADED AFTER HE HAD DEPLANED. HOWEVER, HE DID NOTICE THE APPARENT CARGO COME OUT TO THE ACFT FOR LOADING IN PHX AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY HAZARDOUS MATERIAL LABELS. HE WAS TOLD THAT THE CARGO WAS A BATTERY IN A SELF SEALING CONTAINER THAT APPARENTLY HAD LEAKED. IT WAS NOT KNOWN IF IT WAS DAMAGED ENRTE FROM LAX TO PHX OR ON THE GND BTWN THOSE POINTS DURING LOADING, OR IF THE CONTAINER WAS FAULTY WHEN ACCEPTED AT LAX. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, THE COMPANY HAS PROVIDED MORE DETAILED HAZARDOUS MATERIAL TRAINING TO GND CREW AND MADE THE FLC ALSO AWARE OF THIS TRAINING AND PROCS. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE FAA FSDO OFFICE HAD INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS A BEECHCRAFT MODEL 1900D ACFT AND THE CARGO WAS PLACED IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT. HE WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL OR ITS LOCATION ON THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 336367: ARRIVED IN PHX FROM FLG AT XX40 LCL TIME. FLG HAD CALLED ADVISING OF A LIQUID SPILL IN AFT CARGO AREA. THE RAMP SUPVR AND MYSELF WASHED WITH WATER AN AREA WHICH LOOKED TO BE AFFECTED. WE SNIFFED AROUND AND FOUND THE ACFT SAFE FOR FURTHER FLTS. WE MADE A TRIP FROM PHX TO DRO AND RETURNED TO PHX. DSNDING INTO THE WARM AIR IN THE PHX AREA BROUGHT OUT THE SMELL OF WHATEVER WAS SPILLED. ARRIVING IN PHX I GNDED THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS FERRIED TO FMN FOR FURTHER CLEANUP AND INSPECTION. I AM CONCERNED THAT I SHOULD HAVE GNDED IT PRIOR TO THE DRO ROUND TRIP. NEXT TIME I WILL GND THE ACFT AND IMMEDIATELY RPT IT TO THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL CREW.

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.