Narrative:

First leg of 2 day sequence was xyz-phx, full load. Routine flight, reloaded and awaiting connecting passenger when operations agent informed me a baggage handler wanted to speak to me. He informed me that when unloading forward baggage bin they had found a single oxygen generator loose, with pin and flag attached, on bin floor. There was company materials on board but no boxes or bags were open. I called the dispatch supervisor as our passenger had arrived and after the baggage man assured me there were no more generators in the forward or aft bin, we departed. 2 days later, the chief pilot informed me we had indeed carried a generator and there was an investigation underway. I am not privy to the details at this point but the underlying truth is no matter how you train them on any subject, somewhere, sometime, someone will pull a really stupid stunt. Double and triple vigilance doesn't seem to stop these kinds of events. (Murphy is alive and well!) unfortunately, I have no answers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain was flying a B737-300 and had landed and loaded and reloaded when he was advised that an oxygen generator had been found in the forward cargo compartment during the unloading process. The generator had been discovered lying loose on the floor of the compartment. There was some through-baggage, including some sealed packages of parts and other material belonging to the airline, but no apparent other generators. The found generator was removed and a report filed through the operations station to airline management. The flight then departed for the next station and the flight crew thought that the generator problem had been solved. However, upon arrival, the company shipment was seized by company cargo supervisor and inspected. Another generator was found inside the sealed shipment and management and the FAA were notified. The captain was interviewed by the chief pilot who informed him of the additional generator. The captain later spoke with the baggage handler who had discovered the first generator and that handler had already been interviewed by the FAA and company investigators. The captain said that the company has again informed all departments about hazardous cargo and the prohibition against shipping certain items, particularly oxygen generators, on passenger aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC WAS ADVISED BY A BAGGAGE HANDLER THAT, AS HE WAS UNLOADING THE FORWARD CARGO HOLD. HE HAD DISCOVERED AN OXYGEN GENERATOR. LATER, THE CREW FOUND THAT ANOTHER OXYGEN GENERATOR HAD REMAINED ON BOARD FOR THE NEXT FLT.

Narrative: FIRST LEG OF 2 DAY SEQUENCE WAS XYZ-PHX, FULL LOAD. ROUTINE FLT, RELOADED AND AWAITING CONNECTING PAX WHEN OPS AGENT INFORMED ME A BAGGAGE HANDLER WANTED TO SPEAK TO ME. HE INFORMED ME THAT WHEN UNLOADING FORWARD BAGGAGE BIN THEY HAD FOUND A SINGLE OXYGEN GENERATOR LOOSE, WITH PIN AND FLAG ATTACHED, ON BIN FLOOR. THERE WAS COMPANY MATERIALS ON BOARD BUT NO BOXES OR BAGS WERE OPEN. I CALLED THE DISPATCH SUPVR AS OUR PAX HAD ARRIVED AND AFTER THE BAGGAGE MAN ASSURED ME THERE WERE NO MORE GENERATORS IN THE FORWARD OR AFT BIN, WE DEPARTED. 2 DAYS LATER, THE CHIEF PLT INFORMED ME WE HAD INDEED CARRIED A GENERATOR AND THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY. I AM NOT PRIVY TO THE DETAILS AT THIS POINT BUT THE UNDERLYING TRUTH IS NO MATTER HOW YOU TRAIN THEM ON ANY SUBJECT, SOMEWHERE, SOMETIME, SOMEONE WILL PULL A REALLY STUPID STUNT. DOUBLE AND TRIPLE VIGILANCE DOESN'T SEEM TO STOP THESE KINDS OF EVENTS. (MURPHY IS ALIVE AND WELL!) UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE NO ANSWERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT WAS FLYING A B737-300 AND HAD LANDED AND LOADED AND RELOADED WHEN HE WAS ADVISED THAT AN OXYGEN GENERATOR HAD BEEN FOUND IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT DURING THE UNLOADING PROCESS. THE GENERATOR HAD BEEN DISCOVERED LYING LOOSE ON THE FLOOR OF THE COMPARTMENT. THERE WAS SOME THROUGH-BAGGAGE, INCLUDING SOME SEALED PACKAGES OF PARTS AND OTHER MATERIAL BELONGING TO THE AIRLINE, BUT NO APPARENT OTHER GENERATORS. THE FOUND GENERATOR WAS REMOVED AND A RPT FILED THROUGH THE OPS STATION TO AIRLINE MGMNT. THE FLT THEN DEPARTED FOR THE NEXT STATION AND THE FLC THOUGHT THAT THE GENERATOR PROB HAD BEEN SOLVED. HOWEVER, UPON ARR, THE COMPANY SHIPMENT WAS SEIZED BY COMPANY CARGO SUPVR AND INSPECTED. ANOTHER GENERATOR WAS FOUND INSIDE THE SEALED SHIPMENT AND MGMNT AND THE FAA WERE NOTIFIED. THE CAPT WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE CHIEF PLT WHO INFORMED HIM OF THE ADDITIONAL GENERATOR. THE CAPT LATER SPOKE WITH THE BAGGAGE HANDLER WHO HAD DISCOVERED THE FIRST GENERATOR AND THAT HANDLER HAD ALREADY BEEN INTERVIEWED BY THE FAA AND COMPANY INVESTIGATORS. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE COMPANY HAS AGAIN INFORMED ALL DEPTS ABOUT HAZARDOUS CARGO AND THE PROHIBITION AGAINST SHIPPING CERTAIN ITEMS, PARTICULARLY OXYGEN GENERATORS, ON PAX ACFT.

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.