Narrative:

On dec/xa/97 I was the captain of an air carrier BE02 on an IFR flight to yuma, az. The aircraft was landed at phx airport and departed and made the trip to yuma in approximately 55 mins. We landed and unloaded the passenger. As the first officer was unloading the passenger, I went to the rear of the aircraft to help the 2 rampers with the bags. As we were unloading the freight (7 boxes) a packing slip was ripped open by accident. I opened it to see what it said. To my horror the sheet said radioactive materials shipment. We stored the material and I called my company safety director at once and notified the station manager. After approximately 1.3 hours of trying to get in touch with someone at the company, I talked to an executive and asked him when he wanted my faxed report and if we should continue. He said facsimile it when I arrived in phx or when I could and try not to delay the flight. At this time I filled out my occurrence report and had the station manager facsimile it. The rest of the day proceeded without incident. The boxes had no labels at all as to the contents inside, ie, 'radioactive.' my company's policy is no hazmat! The only way I can see of preventing this again is to provide the crew with the contents of all cargo.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE02 ACR FLC DISCOVER THAT THEY HAD RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN A SHIPMENT THAT HAD NO EXTERNAL MARKINGS. THEY NOTIFIED THEIR COMPANY MGMNT.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/97 I WAS THE CAPT OF AN ACR BE02 ON AN IFR FLT TO YUMA, AZ. THE ACFT WAS LANDED AT PHX ARPT AND DEPARTED AND MADE THE TRIP TO YUMA IN APPROX 55 MINS. WE LANDED AND UNLOADED THE PAX. AS THE FO WAS UNLOADING THE PAX, I WENT TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT TO HELP THE 2 RAMPERS WITH THE BAGS. AS WE WERE UNLOADING THE FREIGHT (7 BOXES) A PACKING SLIP WAS RIPPED OPEN BY ACCIDENT. I OPENED IT TO SEE WHAT IT SAID. TO MY HORROR THE SHEET SAID RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS SHIPMENT. WE STORED THE MATERIAL AND I CALLED MY COMPANY SAFETY DIRECTOR AT ONCE AND NOTIFIED THE STATION MGR. AFTER APPROX 1.3 HRS OF TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE AT THE COMPANY, I TALKED TO AN EXECUTIVE AND ASKED HIM WHEN HE WANTED MY FAXED RPT AND IF WE SHOULD CONTINUE. HE SAID FAX IT WHEN I ARRIVED IN PHX OR WHEN I COULD AND TRY NOT TO DELAY THE FLT. AT THIS TIME I FILLED OUT MY OCCURRENCE RPT AND HAD THE STATION MGR FAX IT. THE REST OF THE DAY PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE BOXES HAD NO LABELS AT ALL AS TO THE CONTENTS INSIDE, IE, 'RADIOACTIVE.' MY COMPANY'S POLICY IS NO HAZMAT! THE ONLY WAY I CAN SEE OF PREVENTING THIS AGAIN IS TO PROVIDE THE CREW WITH THE CONTENTS OF ALL CARGO.

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.