A B737-300 crew, during cruise, were informed by a flight attendant that a passenger smoking in the ...

Attributes
ACN	541588
Time
Date	200203
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	541588
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : fa 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

En route from dtw to bna, the flight attendants informed the captain that a passenger was smoking the aft lavatory. As a result of this the passenger had started a fire in the trash disposal in the aft lavatory. The flight attendants quickly informed the captain that the fire was out and everything was under control. The captain asked me to call bna operations and ask them to have security and a customer service supervisor meet the aircraft. When we landed, we called maintenance and informed them that there was a fire in the trash disposal in the aft lavatory and that a fire extinguisher was used to put the fire out. It was my understanding that maintenance had cleared us to continue. They also replaced the fire extinguisher that was used and cleared the write-up in the logbook. On mar/tue/02 about XB00, the chief pilot contacted me at home. He informed me that he would like me to write an irregularity report and facsimile it to the office. He also informed me that the captain did inform dispatch in a timely manner and I should file a report and facsimile it to them within the next 24 hours. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated, from the time they were informed of the passenger smoking problem until his removal at destination, things went smoothly. Apparently the FAA has issue with the captain 'not informing dispatch in a timely manner.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW, DURING CRUISE, WERE INFORMED BY A FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX SMOKING IN THE AFT LAVATORY HAD STARTED A FIRE IN THE TRASH CONTAINER, SUBSEQUENTLY HAVING BEEN PUT OUT BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM DTW TO BNA, THE FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED THE CAPT THAT A PAX WAS SMOKING THE AFT LAVATORY. AS A RESULT OF THIS THE PAX HAD STARTED A FIRE IN THE TRASH DISPOSAL IN THE AFT LAVATORY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS QUICKLY INFORMED THE CAPT THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT AND EVERYTHING WAS UNDER CTL. THE CAPT ASKED ME TO CALL BNA OPS AND ASK THEM TO HAVE SECURITY AND A CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR MEET THE ACFT. WHEN WE LANDED, WE CALLED MAINT AND INFORMED THEM THAT THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE TRASH DISPOSAL IN THE AFT LAVATORY AND THAT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS USED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MAINT HAD CLRED US TO CONTINUE. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER THAT WAS USED AND CLRED THE WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK. ON MAR/TUE/02 ABOUT XB00, THE CHIEF PLT CONTACTED ME AT HOME. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD LIKE ME TO WRITE AN IRREGULARITY RPT AND FAX IT TO THE OFFICE. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE CAPT DID INFORM DISPATCH IN A TIMELY MANNER AND I SHOULD FILE A RPT AND FAX IT TO THEM WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED, FROM THE TIME THEY WERE INFORMED OF THE PAX SMOKING PROB UNTIL HIS REMOVAL AT DEST, THINGS WENT SMOOTHLY. APPARENTLY THE FAA HAS ISSUE WITH THE CAPT 'NOT INFORMING DISPATCH IN A TIMELY MANNER.'

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.

A B737-300 crew, during cruise, were informed by a flight attendant that a passenger smoking in the aft lavatory had started a fire in the trash container, subsequently having been put out by the flight attendants.