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An EMB140 captain discovers that a wheelchair that was loaded on the aircraft did not have its battery secured properly.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 626897 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200408 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mia.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Embraer Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| 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 |
| ASRS Report | 626897 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Prior to departure, we received a hazmat form indicating that we had a battery pwred wheelchair on board. I asked the agent if they knew if it was wet cell or dry cell and they did not know and the ramp people loading the aircraft did not know either. I went with the ramp person to the aft cargo area and they pulled the chair out. Finding out that it was a dry cell wheelchair and the batteries had not been disconnected. We took a delay until the batteries were properly secured as per the flight manual. My experience has been that whenever a battery pwred wheelchair is loaded onto our aircraft, about 75% of the time the chair is not prepared for shipment properly. My suggestion would be to have a separate form for battery pwred wheelchair being shipped that notes whether it is wet or dry cell and also a place to check off that the battery has been properly prepared. As it is now, the hazmat form only has a box for battery pwred vehicle. Again, this problem like at mia happens over and over, and a better fix is needed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMB140 CAPT DISCOVERS THAT A WHEELCHAIR THAT WAS LOADED ON THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE ITS BATTERY SECURED PROPERLY.
Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP, WE RECEIVED A HAZMAT FORM INDICATING THAT WE HAD A BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIR ON BOARD. I ASKED THE AGENT IF THEY KNEW IF IT WAS WET CELL OR DRY CELL AND THEY DID NOT KNOW AND THE RAMP PEOPLE LOADING THE ACFT DID NOT KNOW EITHER. I WENT WITH THE RAMP PERSON TO THE AFT CARGO AREA AND THEY PULLED THE CHAIR OUT. FINDING OUT THAT IT WAS A DRY CELL WHEELCHAIR AND THE BATTERIES HAD NOT BEEN DISCONNECTED. WE TOOK A DELAY UNTIL THE BATTERIES WERE PROPERLY SECURED AS PER THE FLT MANUAL. MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT WHENEVER A BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIR IS LOADED ONTO OUR ACFT, ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME THE CHAIR IS NOT PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT PROPERLY. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO HAVE A SEPARATE FORM FOR BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIR BEING SHIPPED THAT NOTES WHETHER IT IS WET OR DRY CELL AND ALSO A PLACE TO CHK OFF THAT THE BATTERY HAS BEEN PROPERLY PREPARED. AS IT IS NOW, THE HAZMAT FORM ONLY HAS A BOX FOR BATTERY PWRED VEHICLE. AGAIN, THIS PROB LIKE AT MIA HAPPENS OVER AND OVER, AND A BETTER FIX IS NEEDED.
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.