MD80 flight crew concerned with canister of oxygen being carried by passenger.

Attributes
ACN	557139
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	557139
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Passenger had a 300 milliliter canister of liquid oxygen. The agent was going to have him empty it before boarding the aircraft. The agent informed me that the oxygen supervisor and a few other supervisors said that it was ok to do this. I was not comfortable with this situation, so I called cargo. He was not familiar with liquid oxygen either. He informed he that it would be ok to take the bottle with me as long as it was confirmed empty and that it was taken in the cargo compartment. The passenger emptied it in front of me and to the best of my knowledge it was empty with no pressure. I made my best decision with the information I had at the time. Besides letting us know about liquid oxygen, the agents and supervisors need to get this information.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC CONCERNED WITH CANISTER OF OXYGEN BEING CARRIED BY PAX.

Narrative: PAX HAD A 300 MILLILITER CANISTER OF LIQUID OXYGEN. THE AGENT WAS GOING TO HAVE HIM EMPTY IT BEFORE BOARDING THE ACFT. THE AGENT INFORMED ME THAT THE OXYGEN SUPVR AND A FEW OTHER SUPVRS SAID THAT IT WAS OK TO DO THIS. I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS SIT, SO I CALLED CARGO. HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH LIQUID OXYGEN EITHER. HE INFORMED HE THAT IT WOULD BE OK TO TAKE THE BOTTLE WITH ME AS LONG AS IT WAS CONFIRMED EMPTY AND THAT IT WAS TAKEN IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. THE PAX EMPTIED IT IN FRONT OF ME AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE IT WAS EMPTY WITH NO PRESSURE. I MADE MY BEST DECISION WITH THE INFO I HAD AT THE TIME. BESIDES LETTING US KNOW ABOUT LIQUID OXYGEN, THE AGENTS AND SUPVRS NEED TO GET THIS INFO.

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.