Narrative:

On taxi to the gate after a routine flight, we had a 'smoke cargo' warning message and 'smoke' aural. We both analyzed the situation and the captain commanded me to do the emergency memory items, which I accomplished, and he proceeded to inform ramp control on the emergency. I concurred with the captain that I was going to discharge the normal and standby fire extinguishers for the cargo compartment, and he said to proceed, which I did. On pulling in to the gate, he told me to contact our flight attendant, and command an evacuate/evacuation. I contacted him and told him we needed to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft after we pulled in to the gate, which I also proceeded to do. I asked the flight attendant if there were any signs of smoke or fire in the cabin. He proceeded to check the cabin and found no signs of smoke or fire. The aircraft was stopped at the gate, the door (main passenger door) opened, and the passenger evacuate/evacuationed. I also proceeded to go outside the aircraft and warn the ramp supervisors and fire department of the situation and that we did fire the fire extinguishers, and to use caution when opening the cargo door. Our passenger were all standing at the bottom of the stairs on the ramp, so I told the ramp supervisor that we should get the passenger inside the terminal, away from the aircraft, which he did. There turned out to be no signs of smoke or fire from the cargo compartment, and all of the bags were removed. In my short time flying the CL65, I have already seen this warning message twice, both times at the gate while parked, and the aircraft being loaded. In both of those sits, we inspected the cargo compartment, and found no signs of smoke or fire, and then reported the incident to our maintenance department. The warning message would appear, and in a few mins, would be gone. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cargo compartment smoke alarm system has a maintenance history of false warnings. The reporter said the warnings always occur on or near the gate and it was discovered the hand-held portable communication radios used by ramp personnel would trigger the smoke alarm. The reporter said in this event the cargo compartment was closed up. The reporter said the frequency of these reports is going to lead some crews to ignore the warnings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 ON TAXI IN TO GATE HAD A CARGO COMPARTMENT SMOKE AURAL AND VISUAL WARNING. ACFT WAS EVACED AND EMER EQUIP RESPONDED. INCIDENT CAUSED BY A FALSE WARNING.

Narrative: ON TAXI TO THE GATE AFTER A ROUTINE FLT, WE HAD A 'SMOKE CARGO' WARNING MESSAGE AND 'SMOKE' AURAL. WE BOTH ANALYZED THE SIT AND THE CAPT COMMANDED ME TO DO THE EMER MEMORY ITEMS, WHICH I ACCOMPLISHED, AND HE PROCEEDED TO INFORM RAMP CTL ON THE EMER. I CONCURRED WITH THE CAPT THAT I WAS GOING TO DISCHARGE THE NORMAL AND STANDBY FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR THE CARGO COMPARTMENT, AND HE SAID TO PROCEED, WHICH I DID. ON PULLING IN TO THE GATE, HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT OUR FLT ATTENDANT, AND COMMAND AN EVAC. I CONTACTED HIM AND TOLD HIM WE NEEDED TO EVAC THE ACFT AFTER WE PULLED IN TO THE GATE, WHICH I ALSO PROCEEDED TO DO. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT IF THERE WERE ANY SIGNS OF SMOKE OR FIRE IN THE CABIN. HE PROCEEDED TO CHK THE CABIN AND FOUND NO SIGNS OF SMOKE OR FIRE. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AT THE GATE, THE DOOR (MAIN PAX DOOR) OPENED, AND THE PAX EVACED. I ALSO PROCEEDED TO GO OUTSIDE THE ACFT AND WARN THE RAMP SUPVRS AND FIRE DEPT OF THE SIT AND THAT WE DID FIRE THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, AND TO USE CAUTION WHEN OPENING THE CARGO DOOR. OUR PAX WERE ALL STANDING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS ON THE RAMP, SO I TOLD THE RAMP SUPVR THAT WE SHOULD GET THE PAX INSIDE THE TERMINAL, AWAY FROM THE ACFT, WHICH HE DID. THERE TURNED OUT TO BE NO SIGNS OF SMOKE OR FIRE FROM THE CARGO COMPARTMENT, AND ALL OF THE BAGS WERE REMOVED. IN MY SHORT TIME FLYING THE CL65, I HAVE ALREADY SEEN THIS WARNING MESSAGE TWICE, BOTH TIMES AT THE GATE WHILE PARKED, AND THE ACFT BEING LOADED. IN BOTH OF THOSE SITS, WE INSPECTED THE CARGO COMPARTMENT, AND FOUND NO SIGNS OF SMOKE OR FIRE, AND THEN RPTED THE INCIDENT TO OUR MAINT DEPT. THE WARNING MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR, AND IN A FEW MINS, WOULD BE GONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CARGO COMPARTMENT SMOKE ALARM SYS HAS A MAINT HISTORY OF FALSE WARNINGS. THE RPTR SAID THE WARNINGS ALWAYS OCCUR ON OR NEAR THE GATE AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THE HAND-HELD PORTABLE COM RADIOS USED BY RAMP PERSONNEL WOULD TRIGGER THE SMOKE ALARM. THE RPTR SAID IN THIS EVENT THE CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS CLOSED UP. THE RPTR SAID THE FREQ OF THESE RPTS IS GOING TO LEAD SOME CREWS TO IGNORE THE WARNINGS.

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.