Narrative:

A passenger bag in the overhead compartment started smoldering. A butane lighter in his bag ignited bag. Bag and passenger were removed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the PIC stated that the aircraft was a DC10- 30. The aircraft was still being boarded but the procedure was almost completed. The flight crew was in the cockpit when the flight attendant called, stating that smoke was present in the cabin. The crew left the cockpit and expected to see what the captain called 'air conditioning smoke.' but the smoke appeared to be of a different nature and from a different source. That is when the captain had the flight attendant give a PA for the passenger to deplane the aircraft while 'the crew checks the source of the smoke.' the deplaning took about 1 min for the approximately 220 passenger to get off via the jetways. During this time the crew found a passenger smoldering bag and pulled it out of the overhead bin and extinguished the smoldering. The bag was partly burned and had singed part of the overhead bin without having actually set it on fire. It all happened so fast that the captain had little or no time to notify or request emergency ground equipment. It really wasn't needed. The bag was inspected by security and the crew. It contained 5 animal shaped butane cigarette lighters. This particular one that had started the fire was shaped like a horse. The tail was the trigger mechanism that allowed the lighter to produce a flame 6 inches in length. The passenger bag was nestled up to another passenger bag and it was presumed that this bag hit the subject bag, contacting the horse's tail and starting the fire. The 'animals' were not boxed and had no protective or inhibiting guards. The captain said that amsterdam airport has excellent security teams who take their business 'very seriously.' they had questioned the passenger about these items during the baggage check at security. Since they did not know what they were, thinking they were simply toys, they allowed the passenger to board with them. The passenger spoke only greek and did not explain what these objects were. The captain said 'thank god the bag was not in the baggage compartment!' the passenger was removed from the flight, security kept the bag and contents. The aircraft was inspected, the overhead bin taped off as 'inoperative' and the flight departed. The captain notified the company through the dispatcher with a safety report, copy to the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 IS DEPLANED AT THE GATE AT AMS, FO, AFTER THE CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS SMOKE IN THE CABIN. A QUICK CHK OF A PAX OVERHEAD BIN REVEALED A SMOLDERING BAG THAT WAS REMOVED FROM THE BIN. PAX, MINUS HIS BAG, LEFT THE ACFT PERMANENTLY.

Narrative: A PAX BAG IN THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT STARTED SMOLDERING. A BUTANE LIGHTER IN HIS BAG IGNITED BAG. BAG AND PAX WERE REMOVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PIC STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS A DC10- 30. THE ACFT WAS STILL BEING BOARDED BUT THE PROC WAS ALMOST COMPLETED. THE FLC WAS IN THE COCKPIT WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED, STATING THAT SMOKE WAS PRESENT IN THE CABIN. THE CREW LEFT THE COCKPIT AND EXPECTED TO SEE WHAT THE CAPT CALLED 'AIR CONDITIONING SMOKE.' BUT THE SMOKE APPEARED TO BE OF A DIFFERENT NATURE AND FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE. THAT IS WHEN THE CAPT HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT GIVE A PA FOR THE PAX TO DEPLANE THE ACFT WHILE 'THE CREW CHKS THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE.' THE DEPLANING TOOK ABOUT 1 MIN FOR THE APPROX 220 PAX TO GET OFF VIA THE JETWAYS. DURING THIS TIME THE CREW FOUND A PAX SMOLDERING BAG AND PULLED IT OUT OF THE OVERHEAD BIN AND EXTINGUISHED THE SMOLDERING. THE BAG WAS PARTLY BURNED AND HAD SINGED PART OF THE OVERHEAD BIN WITHOUT HAVING ACTUALLY SET IT ON FIRE. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST THAT THE CAPT HAD LITTLE OR NO TIME TO NOTIFY OR REQUEST EMER GND EQUIP. IT REALLY WASN'T NEEDED. THE BAG WAS INSPECTED BY SECURITY AND THE CREW. IT CONTAINED 5 ANIMAL SHAPED BUTANE CIGARETTE LIGHTERS. THIS PARTICULAR ONE THAT HAD STARTED THE FIRE WAS SHAPED LIKE A HORSE. THE TAIL WAS THE TRIGGER MECHANISM THAT ALLOWED THE LIGHTER TO PRODUCE A FLAME 6 INCHES IN LENGTH. THE PAX BAG WAS NESTLED UP TO ANOTHER PAX BAG AND IT WAS PRESUMED THAT THIS BAG HIT THE SUBJECT BAG, CONTACTING THE HORSE'S TAIL AND STARTING THE FIRE. THE 'ANIMALS' WERE NOT BOXED AND HAD NO PROTECTIVE OR INHIBITING GUARDS. THE CAPT SAID THAT AMSTERDAM ARPT HAS EXCELLENT SECURITY TEAMS WHO TAKE THEIR BUSINESS 'VERY SERIOUSLY.' THEY HAD QUESTIONED THE PAX ABOUT THESE ITEMS DURING THE BAGGAGE CHK AT SECURITY. SINCE THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE, THINKING THEY WERE SIMPLY TOYS, THEY ALLOWED THE PAX TO BOARD WITH THEM. THE PAX SPOKE ONLY GREEK AND DID NOT EXPLAIN WHAT THESE OBJECTS WERE. THE CAPT SAID 'THANK GOD THE BAG WAS NOT IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT!' THE PAX WAS REMOVED FROM THE FLT, SECURITY KEPT THE BAG AND CONTENTS. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED, THE OVERHEAD BIN TAPED OFF AS 'INOP' AND THE FLT DEPARTED. THE CAPT NOTIFIED THE COMPANY THROUGH THE DISPATCHER WITH A SAFETY RPT, COPY TO THE FAA.

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.