Narrative:

I was the captain on flight from atl to sfo. During the flight, the flight attendant in charge advised me that a passenger had become concerned by the fact that her personal oxygen devices had been stored in such a way (on their sides) that their liquid oxygen might leak out. This was the first time I was aware that anyone's personal oxygen devices were in the cabin. When the flight attendant checked the devices, there appeared to be cold moisture in the overhead bin where the devices (2 of them) had been stored. I was told that the lady had ordered supplemental oxygen from the air carrier for use en route and that her own devices had been stored in an overhead bin. The lady only had 30% lung capacity and had to be administered oxygen through a nasal tube all of the time. We then determined that the devices were not damaged, that the moisture was likely water and moved the devices out of the overhead bin. I then consulted my operations manual regarding the xportation of personal oxygen containers in the cabin and informed flight control of the presence of the devices on board. Through several conversations, we provided them with the name of the manufacturer, a description of the devices, a part number, and the fact that the gauge on both devices indicated 'in the red.' the operations manual made allowances for the xportation of 2 empty personal oxygen containers. Flight control told us, after calling the manufacturer, that they believed that the devices were empty, and we continued on to sfo. After landing I went back to inspect the devices. The devices were enclosed in plastic cases, each designed with a gauge at the top, and a shoulder strap. Its outward appearance displayed no warning labels that would indicate the presence of liquid oxygen. The gauges did appear to read empty. Her husband asked for the devices, so I took them to him and asked him to confirm that the 'in the red' gauge readings meant empty. He then told me that the gauge did not show an accurate reading until the device was suspended by its strap and upon doing so the gauge indicated 'in the green.' I told him that the devices could not be xported in the cabin on the next leg to hawaii, and took the devices out to the gate agent who was aware of the problem, and said that she was working with the cargo department on how the devices were to be xported on to hawaii. I asked her to relate their final decision to the man and his wife and went on to my layover.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-400 FLT ATTENDANT WAS TOLD BY A PAX THAT REQUIRED OXYGEN BOTTLES WERE STORED ON THEIR SIDE. THIS COULD ALLOW LEAKAGE OF LIQUID OXYGEN, PRESENTING A HAZARD.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT FROM ATL TO SFO. DURING THE FLT, THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE ADVISED ME THAT A PAX HAD BECOME CONCERNED BY THE FACT THAT HER PERSONAL OXYGEN DEVICES HAD BEEN STORED IN SUCH A WAY (ON THEIR SIDES) THAT THEIR LIQUID OXYGEN MIGHT LEAK OUT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS AWARE THAT ANYONE'S PERSONAL OXYGEN DEVICES WERE IN THE CABIN. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT CHKED THE DEVICES, THERE APPEARED TO BE COLD MOISTURE IN THE OVERHEAD BIN WHERE THE DEVICES (2 OF THEM) HAD BEEN STORED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LADY HAD ORDERED SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN FROM THE ACR FOR USE ENRTE AND THAT HER OWN DEVICES HAD BEEN STORED IN AN OVERHEAD BIN. THE LADY ONLY HAD 30% LUNG CAPACITY AND HAD TO BE ADMINISTERED OXYGEN THROUGH A NASAL TUBE ALL OF THE TIME. WE THEN DETERMINED THAT THE DEVICES WERE NOT DAMAGED, THAT THE MOISTURE WAS LIKELY WATER AND MOVED THE DEVICES OUT OF THE OVERHEAD BIN. I THEN CONSULTED MY OPS MANUAL REGARDING THE XPORTATION OF PERSONAL OXYGEN CONTAINERS IN THE CABIN AND INFORMED FLT CTL OF THE PRESENCE OF THE DEVICES ON BOARD. THROUGH SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS, WE PROVIDED THEM WITH THE NAME OF THE MANUFACTURER, A DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVICES, A PART NUMBER, AND THE FACT THAT THE GAUGE ON BOTH DEVICES INDICATED 'IN THE RED.' THE OPS MANUAL MADE ALLOWANCES FOR THE XPORTATION OF 2 EMPTY PERSONAL OXYGEN CONTAINERS. FLT CTL TOLD US, AFTER CALLING THE MANUFACTURER, THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT THE DEVICES WERE EMPTY, AND WE CONTINUED ON TO SFO. AFTER LNDG I WENT BACK TO INSPECT THE DEVICES. THE DEVICES WERE ENCLOSED IN PLASTIC CASES, EACH DESIGNED WITH A GAUGE AT THE TOP, AND A SHOULDER STRAP. ITS OUTWARD APPEARANCE DISPLAYED NO WARNING LABELS THAT WOULD INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID OXYGEN. THE GAUGES DID APPEAR TO READ EMPTY. HER HUSBAND ASKED FOR THE DEVICES, SO I TOOK THEM TO HIM AND ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM THAT THE 'IN THE RED' GAUGE READINGS MEANT EMPTY. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THE GAUGE DID NOT SHOW AN ACCURATE READING UNTIL THE DEVICE WAS SUSPENDED BY ITS STRAP AND UPON DOING SO THE GAUGE INDICATED 'IN THE GREEN.' I TOLD HIM THAT THE DEVICES COULD NOT BE XPORTED IN THE CABIN ON THE NEXT LEG TO HAWAII, AND TOOK THE DEVICES OUT TO THE GATE AGENT WHO WAS AWARE OF THE PROB, AND SAID THAT SHE WAS WORKING WITH THE CARGO DEPT ON HOW THE DEVICES WERE TO BE XPORTED ON TO HAWAII. I ASKED HER TO RELATE THEIR FINAL DECISION TO THE MAN AND HIS WIFE AND WENT ON TO MY LAYOVER.

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.