Flight crew of a widebody transport cargo aircraft were notified by dispatch that hazmat had been lo...

Attributes
ACN	427595
Time
Date	199901
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdv
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	427595
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

En route lax-ord on a night cargo flight, we were notified by the company via ACARS that some hazmat (explosives) had been loaded in the main cargo cabin instead of in the hazmat container. No further details were provided to us at that time. Earlier, prior to departure from lax, the company's hazmat specialist at lax told us that there was no hazardous can on board, that some non hazmat was on board in a certain location, and showed us the paperwork as required by company procedures. We established radio contact with the company for further details and asked if they would like us to land in denver (as we were over den at that time) to reload the goods and await instructions. They said to continue on flight plan to ord while they worked on the situation. As the flight crew, we have no control over the loading of hazmat by a company specialist or of any particular shipper. We later found out that shippers are exempt from normal routine because of their excellence in handling and packaging. In this situation, our company had to research further to determine whether this shipper had such an exemption. (The material in question turned out to be automobile airbag initiators -- a class 1.45 explosive.) we continued on to ord without further incident or company communication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB CARGO ACFT WERE NOTIFIED BY DISPATCH THAT HAZMAT HAD BEEN LOADED IN THE MAIN CABIN AND NOT IN THE HAZMAT CONTAINER.

Narrative: ENRTE LAX-ORD ON A NIGHT CARGO FLT, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE COMPANY VIA ACARS THAT SOME HAZMAT (EXPLOSIVES) HAD BEEN LOADED IN THE MAIN CARGO CABIN INSTEAD OF IN THE HAZMAT CONTAINER. NO FURTHER DETAILS WERE PROVIDED TO US AT THAT TIME. EARLIER, PRIOR TO DEP FROM LAX, THE COMPANY'S HAZMAT SPECIALIST AT LAX TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NO HAZARDOUS CAN ON BOARD, THAT SOME NON HAZMAT WAS ON BOARD IN A CERTAIN LOCATION, AND SHOWED US THE PAPERWORK AS REQUIRED BY COMPANY PROCS. WE ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH THE COMPANY FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD LIKE US TO LAND IN DENVER (AS WE WERE OVER DEN AT THAT TIME) TO RELOAD THE GOODS AND AWAIT INSTRUCTIONS. THEY SAID TO CONTINUE ON FLT PLAN TO ORD WHILE THEY WORKED ON THE SIT. AS THE FLC, WE HAVE NO CTL OVER THE LOADING OF HAZMAT BY A COMPANY SPECIALIST OR OF ANY PARTICULAR SHIPPER. WE LATER FOUND OUT THAT SHIPPERS ARE EXEMPT FROM NORMAL ROUTINE BECAUSE OF THEIR EXCELLENCE IN HANDLING AND PACKAGING. IN THIS SIT, OUR COMPANY HAD TO RESEARCH FURTHER TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS SHIPPER HAD SUCH AN EXEMPTION. (THE MATERIAL IN QUESTION TURNED OUT TO BE AUTOMOBILE AIRBAG INITIATORS -- A CLASS 1.45 EXPLOSIVE.) WE CONTINUED ON TO ORD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT OR COMPANY COM.

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.

Flight crew of a widebody transport cargo aircraft were notified by dispatch that hazmat had been loaded in the main cabin and not in the hazmat container.