Narrative:

I was approached by a good friend of mine to do a favor for a friend of his, and take them up to spread a relative's human remains (ashes) over the cemetery. Everyone in the aircraft was instructed, prior to takeoff, on how to hold the bag and ensure that the ashes would pour out without mishaps. The plan was for the passenger (left front seat) to hold the window open while the passenger in the left rear seat spread the ashes over the cemetery. I was plting the aircraft from the right seat because the only opening window is on the left side. We did a simulated pass over the cemetery before the actual spreading of the ashes. On our second and final pass over, the window was opened as planned and the bag was held outside the window as planned. The person in the left rear seat responsible for holding the bag out the window, unexpectedly let go. Surprised that he had just let go, I asked him if the bag ripped open, and he assured me that it had 'partially broke open.' as the pilot, I saw him release the bag, but I did not witness where the bag went or if the ashes did in fact come out of the bag. In the afternoon, 2 days later, it was brought to my attention that the bag had not opened as I was led to believe, and it had gone through the roof of someone's house next to the cemetery.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PAX ATTEMPTING TO SCATTER HUMAN ASHES OVER A CEMETERY INADVERTENTLY DROPS THE BAG WHICH FALLS THROUGH THE ROOF OF A HOUSE ADJACENT TO THE AREA.

Narrative: I WAS APCHED BY A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE TO DO A FAVOR FOR A FRIEND OF HIS, AND TAKE THEM UP TO SPREAD A RELATIVE'S HUMAN REMAINS (ASHES) OVER THE CEMETERY. EVERYONE IN THE ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED, PRIOR TO TKOF, ON HOW TO HOLD THE BAG AND ENSURE THAT THE ASHES WOULD POUR OUT WITHOUT MISHAPS. THE PLAN WAS FOR THE PAX (L FRONT SEAT) TO HOLD THE WINDOW OPEN WHILE THE PAX IN THE L REAR SEAT SPREAD THE ASHES OVER THE CEMETERY. I WAS PLTING THE ACFT FROM THE R SEAT BECAUSE THE ONLY OPENING WINDOW IS ON THE L SIDE. WE DID A SIMULATED PASS OVER THE CEMETERY BEFORE THE ACTUAL SPREADING OF THE ASHES. ON OUR SECOND AND FINAL PASS OVER, THE WINDOW WAS OPENED AS PLANNED AND THE BAG WAS HELD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW AS PLANNED. THE PERSON IN THE L REAR SEAT RESPONSIBLE FOR HOLDING THE BAG OUT THE WINDOW, UNEXPECTEDLY LET GO. SURPRISED THAT HE HAD JUST LET GO, I ASKED HIM IF THE BAG RIPPED OPEN, AND HE ASSURED ME THAT IT HAD 'PARTIALLY BROKE OPEN.' AS THE PLT, I SAW HIM RELEASE THE BAG, BUT I DID NOT WITNESS WHERE THE BAG WENT OR IF THE ASHES DID IN FACT COME OUT OF THE BAG. IN THE AFTERNOON, 2 DAYS LATER, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT THE BAG HAD NOT OPENED AS I WAS LED TO BELIEVE, AND IT HAD GONE THROUGH THE ROOF OF SOMEONE'S HOUSE NEXT TO THE CEMETERY.

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.