Narrative:

Flight X from lax to nrt. Passenger flight, normal operations. During normal preflight duties, ground personnel brought a copy of the dangerous goods notification to PIC or 'nopic' form for captain to sign notifying us as the flight crew that dangerous goods on board aircraft. The notification to PIC form showed 'ammunition/practice' as the dangerous goods. The form had not been filled out by ground personnel properly, missing required signature and other information. Upon receiving form, captain noted that form needed to be completed whereas I returned form to operations in lax for required data to be completed. Just prior to pushback from gate, ground crew brought back notification to PIC form correctly filled out. Captain signed and we then completed flight. Upon arrival in nrt, captain was notified that 'ammunition/practice' was improperly loaded on our aircraft. It should not have been put on passenger flight as it is only allowed on cargo only flts. At no time were we (the flight crew) notified of this prior to flight. The only data we have to confirm the validity of items carried on board aircraft is the notification to PIC form and fom. It showed that passenger can carry small arms ammunition on board aircraft in personal [checked] luggage. At no time did we feel concern for the items on the flight, and no damage or danger occurred. However, since an far concerning dangerous goods or hazmat was broken, we (the flight crew) felt it important to file a report. Dangerous goods seem to be a problem with many air carrier operators having problems with this aspect of operations. Perhaps it would be best if dangerous goods were not carried on passenger flts on any air carrier. I don't know the answer. Supplemental information from acn 448967: we were informed on landing that the company had decided after departure that this cargo should have been on a cargo aircraft only. Company decided to self report this error to the FAA. Flcs are not trained or provided the reference information to second-guess the cargo specialists. We mainly check to see if paperwork is in good order, and look for problems like leaks in packages. We have to trust the trained personnel to get it right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 FLC ACCEPTS HAZMAT RPT AND MATERIAL FOR PAX CHKED BAGGAGE THAT WAS ILLEGAL IN FLT FROM LAX TO NRT, FO.

Narrative: FLT X FROM LAX TO NRT. PAX FLT, NORMAL OPS. DURING NORMAL PREFLT DUTIES, GND PERSONNEL BROUGHT A COPY OF THE DANGEROUS GOODS NOTIFICATION TO PIC OR 'NOPIC' FORM FOR CAPT TO SIGN NOTIFYING US AS THE FLC THAT DANGEROUS GOODS ON BOARD ACFT. THE NOTIFICATION TO PIC FORM SHOWED 'AMMUNITION/PRACTICE' AS THE DANGEROUS GOODS. THE FORM HAD NOT BEEN FILLED OUT BY GND PERSONNEL PROPERLY, MISSING REQUIRED SIGNATURE AND OTHER INFO. UPON RECEIVING FORM, CAPT NOTED THAT FORM NEEDED TO BE COMPLETED WHEREAS I RETURNED FORM TO OPS IN LAX FOR REQUIRED DATA TO BE COMPLETED. JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK FROM GATE, GND CREW BROUGHT BACK NOTIFICATION TO PIC FORM CORRECTLY FILLED OUT. CAPT SIGNED AND WE THEN COMPLETED FLT. UPON ARR IN NRT, CAPT WAS NOTIFIED THAT 'AMMUNITION/PRACTICE' WAS IMPROPERLY LOADED ON OUR ACFT. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PUT ON PAX FLT AS IT IS ONLY ALLOWED ON CARGO ONLY FLTS. AT NO TIME WERE WE (THE FLC) NOTIFIED OF THIS PRIOR TO FLT. THE ONLY DATA WE HAVE TO CONFIRM THE VALIDITY OF ITEMS CARRIED ON BOARD ACFT IS THE NOTIFICATION TO PIC FORM AND FOM. IT SHOWED THAT PAX CAN CARRY SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION ON BOARD ACFT IN PERSONAL [CHKED] LUGGAGE. AT NO TIME DID WE FEEL CONCERN FOR THE ITEMS ON THE FLT, AND NO DAMAGE OR DANGER OCCURRED. HOWEVER, SINCE AN FAR CONCERNING DANGEROUS GOODS OR HAZMAT WAS BROKEN, WE (THE FLC) FELT IT IMPORTANT TO FILE A RPT. DANGEROUS GOODS SEEM TO BE A PROB WITH MANY ACR OPERATORS HAVING PROBS WITH THIS ASPECT OF OPS. PERHAPS IT WOULD BE BEST IF DANGEROUS GOODS WERE NOT CARRIED ON PAX FLTS ON ANY ACR. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448967: WE WERE INFORMED ON LNDG THAT THE COMPANY HAD DECIDED AFTER DEP THAT THIS CARGO SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON A CARGO ACFT ONLY. COMPANY DECIDED TO SELF RPT THIS ERROR TO THE FAA. FLCS ARE NOT TRAINED OR PROVIDED THE REF INFO TO SECOND-GUESS THE CARGO SPECIALISTS. WE MAINLY CHK TO SEE IF PAPERWORK IS IN GOOD ORDER, AND LOOK FOR PROBS LIKE LEAKS IN PACKAGES. WE HAVE TO TRUST THE TRAINED PERSONNEL TO GET IT RIGHT.

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.