Narrative:

#1 flight attendant advised me that the flight attendants in the coach cabin saw what appeared to be oil or fuel leaking from a bag in the overhead bin, vicinity row 3. She (#1 flight attendant) went to investigate and called later to confirm the liquid as oil or fuel. I requested she get another flight attendant to also confirm. He made the same determination -- oil or fuel. Due to the uncertainty, I sent the first officer to investigate. He called and said it was definitely fuel with perhaps oil mixed, as one would find in a 2 stroke engine. I declared an emergency with new york and proceeded to an uneventful landing at txkf, bermuda. Crash fire rescue equipment removed the offending baggage from the overhead bin. Supplemental information from acn 533153: the captain instructed me to go and take a look at it. I discovered a large oil/gasoline mixture covering the bottom of the overhead compartment. The fluid was leaking out of a large plastic bag which was later found to be motorcycle engine parts. Since it was gasoline and giving off a strong odor, I informed the captain of the situation and he made the decision to divert to txkf (bermuda). This was our closest divert airport. We notified ATC, company performed any and all applicable checklists for our situation, and requested that crash fire rescue equipment equipment meet our aircraft upon arrival. The crash fire rescue equipment members then boarded the aircraft and removed the items from the bin. All of the items were left at bermuda with their crash fire rescue equipment/customs officials. They also cleaned the entire area so that we could continue to our original destination of tjsj (san juan, pr). The passenger that was in possession of these motorcycle parts was met by the proper auths upon gate arrival at san juan, pr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 CABIN CREW, ENRTE FROM JFK TO TJSJ (SAN JUAN, PR) DISCOVERED A GASOLINE SATURATED BAG OF MOTORCYCLE PARTS IN THE OVERHEAD BIN.

Narrative: #1 FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED ME THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE COACH CABIN SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE OIL OR FUEL LEAKING FROM A BAG IN THE OVERHEAD BIN, VICINITY ROW 3. SHE (#1 FLT ATTENDANT) WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND CALLED LATER TO CONFIRM THE LIQUID AS OIL OR FUEL. I REQUESTED SHE GET ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT TO ALSO CONFIRM. HE MADE THE SAME DETERMINATION -- OIL OR FUEL. DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY, I SENT THE FO TO INVESTIGATE. HE CALLED AND SAID IT WAS DEFINITELY FUEL WITH PERHAPS OIL MIXED, AS ONE WOULD FIND IN A 2 STROKE ENG. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH NEW YORK AND PROCEEDED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT TXKF, BERMUDA. CFR REMOVED THE OFFENDING BAGGAGE FROM THE OVERHEAD BIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 533153: THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I DISCOVERED A LARGE OIL/GASOLINE MIXTURE COVERING THE BOTTOM OF THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT. THE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT OF A LARGE PLASTIC BAG WHICH WAS LATER FOUND TO BE MOTORCYCLE ENG PARTS. SINCE IT WAS GASOLINE AND GIVING OFF A STRONG ODOR, I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE SIT AND HE MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO TXKF (BERMUDA). THIS WAS OUR CLOSEST DIVERT ARPT. WE NOTIFIED ATC, COMPANY PERFORMED ANY AND ALL APPLICABLE CHKLISTS FOR OUR SIT, AND REQUESTED THAT CFR EQUIP MEET OUR ACFT UPON ARR. THE CFR MEMBERS THEN BOARDED THE ACFT AND REMOVED THE ITEMS FROM THE BIN. ALL OF THE ITEMS WERE LEFT AT BERMUDA WITH THEIR CFR/CUSTOMS OFFICIALS. THEY ALSO CLEANED THE ENTIRE AREA SO THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST OF TJSJ (SAN JUAN, PR). THE PAX THAT WAS IN POSSESSION OF THESE MOTORCYCLE PARTS WAS MET BY THE PROPER AUTHS UPON GATE ARR AT SAN JUAN, PR.

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.