Narrative:

While aircraft was being loaded, the first officer and I noticed a red plastic container for holding liquid (about 10 gallons) being xferred from one container to another. It appeared to be full and was upside down. I went down and had it retrieved along with packing papers. I smelled the liquid, it smelled like a strong cleaner like lysol. The shipping paper did not have a name I recognized (spanish) but the word 'degreaser' and 'cleaner' were on the paper. The liquid had a head of bubbles. The gateway personnel were not aware of its contents and immediately removed it from the cargo. In my opinion, this was unauthorized hazmat (some kind of corrosive solvent) that was improperly packaged, documented, and processed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CARGO CARRIER DURING PREFLT CHK THE CREW DISCOVERED SUSPECT HAZMAT BEING BOARDED WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION.

Narrative: WHILE ACFT WAS BEING LOADED, THE FO AND I NOTICED A RED PLASTIC CONTAINER FOR HOLDING LIQUID (ABOUT 10 GALLONS) BEING XFERRED FROM ONE CONTAINER TO ANOTHER. IT APPEARED TO BE FULL AND WAS UPSIDE DOWN. I WENT DOWN AND HAD IT RETRIEVED ALONG WITH PACKING PAPERS. I SMELLED THE LIQUID, IT SMELLED LIKE A STRONG CLEANER LIKE LYSOL. THE SHIPPING PAPER DID NOT HAVE A NAME I RECOGNIZED (SPANISH) BUT THE WORD 'DEGREASER' AND 'CLEANER' WERE ON THE PAPER. THE LIQUID HAD A HEAD OF BUBBLES. THE GATEWAY PERSONNEL WERE NOT AWARE OF ITS CONTENTS AND IMMEDIATELY REMOVED IT FROM THE CARGO. IN MY OPINION, THIS WAS UNAUTH HAZMAT (SOME KIND OF CORROSIVE SOLVENT) THAT WAS IMPROPERLY PACKAGED, DOCUMENTED, AND PROCESSED.

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.