Captain of B772 improperly accepts human organ shipment for carriage in cockpit. Later discovers his...

Attributes
ACN	609907
Time
Date	200403
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
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	B777-200
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 115 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 205
ASRS Report	609907
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Am writing this since incident constitutes company operations manual violation. At 10 mins before push, cargo handler came to cockpit asking to place box of eye cornea transplants in cockpit since both forward and aft cargo had dry ice hazmat. Something in the back of my mind said it wasn't allowed. I even thought of asking my first officer and omc if they could think of a reason to say no. Striving for an on-time push, being rushed, wanting the transplants to get to destination on time, and not envisioning a hazard, I allowed the corneas to be transported in the cockpit. At cruise I looked it up and determined my decision to be 'illegal.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B772 IMPROPERLY ACCEPTS HUMAN ORGAN SHIPMENT FOR CARRIAGE IN COCKPIT. LATER DISCOVERS HIS ERROR.

Narrative: AM WRITING THIS SINCE INCIDENT CONSTITUTES COMPANY OPS MANUAL VIOLATION. AT 10 MINS BEFORE PUSH, CARGO HANDLER CAME TO COCKPIT ASKING TO PLACE BOX OF EYE CORNEA TRANSPLANTS IN COCKPIT SINCE BOTH FORWARD AND AFT CARGO HAD DRY ICE HAZMAT. SOMETHING IN THE BACK OF MY MIND SAID IT WASN'T ALLOWED. I EVEN THOUGHT OF ASKING MY FO AND OMC IF THEY COULD THINK OF A REASON TO SAY NO. STRIVING FOR AN ON-TIME PUSH, BEING RUSHED, WANTING THE TRANSPLANTS TO GET TO DEST ON TIME, AND NOT ENVISIONING A HAZARD, I ALLOWED THE CORNEAS TO BE TRANSPORTED IN THE COCKPIT. AT CRUISE I LOOKED IT UP AND DETERMINED MY DECISION TO BE 'ILLEGAL.'

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.

Captain of B772 improperly accepts human organ shipment for carriage in cockpit. Later discovers his error.