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During a canister discharge of an out of date cockpit portable breathing unit the oxygen canister broke apart and caught fire while in the hood.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 583873 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : lead technician |
| ASRS Report | 583873 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : person 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Oxygen canister broke apart and burnt when discharged. Looks like it caught fire while still installed on pbe hood. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that during the maintenance checks portable breathing equipment kits that are out of date and units that are not hard or sealed correctly are removed. The reporter said these units or kits are then placed in a metal cage and opened up normally and the canister discharged to allow the kits to be shipped by truck to a landfill. The reporter stated this particular kit, when opened and triggered, broke apart instantly and caught fire inside the hood. The reporter said this could be a serious safety issue not only for the people handling these units, but flight and cabin crews. The reporter stated a person using this hood in an emergency would be endangered. The reporter said the unit had been sent to the company engineering department for evaluation. The reporter stated previous experience with discharging the canisters has been one that emitted sparks and flashes.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING A CANISTER DISCHARGE OF AN OUT OF DATE COCKPIT PORTABLE BREATHING UNIT THE OXYGEN CANISTER BROKE APART AND CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IN THE HOOD.
Narrative: OXYGEN CANISTER BROKE APART AND BURNT WHEN DISCHARGED. LOOKS LIKE IT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE STILL INSTALLED ON PBE HOOD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT DURING THE MAINT CHECKS PORTABLE BREATHING EQUIP KITS THAT ARE OUT OF DATE AND UNITS THAT ARE NOT HARD OR SEALED CORRECTLY ARE REMOVED. THE RPTR SAID THESE UNITS OR KITS ARE THEN PLACED IN A METAL CAGE AND OPENED UP NORMALLY AND THE CANISTER DISCHARGED TO ALLOW THE KITS TO BE SHIPPED BY TRUCK TO A LANDFILL. THE RPTR STATED THIS PARTICULAR KIT, WHEN OPENED AND TRIGGERED, BROKE APART INSTANTLY AND CAUGHT FIRE INSIDE THE HOOD. THE RPTR SAID THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE NOT ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE HANDLING THESE UNITS, BUT FLT AND CABIN CREWS. THE RPTR STATED A PERSON USING THIS HOOD IN AN EMER WOULD BE ENDANGERED. THE RPTR SAID THE UNIT HAD BEEN SENT TO THE COMPANY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOR EVALUATION. THE RPTR STATED PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH DISCHARGING THE CANISTERS HAS BEEN ONE THAT EMITTED SPARKS AND FLASHES.
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.