Narrative:

During preflight checks for the flight we received an ACARS message that said 'some kind of spilled fluid found in aft pit. Reported that pit was not loaded in den because of this. No spills reported out of den. Check spill and try to determine what it is. Follow up with verbal notification as appropriate -- a new release is required prior to flight.' this still apparently was discovered by a baggage handling crew in den during the baggage unloading/loading process. It was apparently not entered as a discrepancy when it was discovered. After receiving the above message; the first officer went to the aft pit to investigate and see if any action was being taken to correct the discrepancy. The contract maintenance technician was on the scene and had cleaned up some of the fluid. Some of the fluid had dried into dark brown areas in the aft part of the aft pit. He could not identify with certainty what the fluid was. The first officer went into the baggage compartment in an attempt to help identify the fluid. While in the cargo pit; the first officer and the technician agreed that the fluid smelled and looked like soy sauce. A taste test was not accomplished. The next message received stated 'maintenance says it was soy sauce that was in someone's bag. They didn't know about it either. Was a small spill and should have just been cleaned instead of written up. I'm not sure if snow storm affected clean-up time.' a new release was received prior to taxiing. Comments: if this fluid had been an airplane system fluid; critical to the safe operation of the airplane; and had it not been discovered by the crew before takeoff; or if this fluid would have been corrosive in nature and left to act on the airplane cargo hold and possibly; the airplane structure; the unintended consequences of this error in reporting could have been less than desirable for the crew and passenger onboard. The importance of a baggage handler reporting any fluid spills in the pits; as it relates to airplane/crew/passenger safety; can not be overstated.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW LEARNS LATE THAT A FLUID SPILL HAS OCCURRED IN THE AFT PIT AND HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY RPTED.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT CHKS FOR THE FLT WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT SAID 'SOME KIND OF SPILLED FLUID FOUND IN AFT PIT. RPTED THAT PIT WAS NOT LOADED IN DEN BECAUSE OF THIS. NO SPILLS RPTED OUT OF DEN. CHK SPILL AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT IT IS. FOLLOW UP WITH VERBAL NOTIFICATION AS APPROPRIATE -- A NEW RELEASE IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO FLT.' THIS STILL APPARENTLY WAS DISCOVERED BY A BAGGAGE HANDLING CREW IN DEN DURING THE BAGGAGE UNLOADING/LOADING PROCESS. IT WAS APPARENTLY NOT ENTERED AS A DISCREPANCY WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED. AFTER RECEIVING THE ABOVE MESSAGE; THE FO WENT TO THE AFT PIT TO INVESTIGATE AND SEE IF ANY ACTION WAS BEING TAKEN TO CORRECT THE DISCREPANCY. THE CONTRACT MAINT TECHNICIAN WAS ON THE SCENE AND HAD CLEANED UP SOME OF THE FLUID. SOME OF THE FLUID HAD DRIED INTO DARK BROWN AREAS IN THE AFT PART OF THE AFT PIT. HE COULD NOT IDENT WITH CERTAINTY WHAT THE FLUID WAS. THE FO WENT INTO THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP IDENT THE FLUID. WHILE IN THE CARGO PIT; THE FO AND THE TECHNICIAN AGREED THAT THE FLUID SMELLED AND LOOKED LIKE SOY SAUCE. A TASTE TEST WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. THE NEXT MESSAGE RECEIVED STATED 'MAINT SAYS IT WAS SOY SAUCE THAT WAS IN SOMEONE'S BAG. THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT EITHER. WAS A SMALL SPILL AND SHOULD HAVE JUST BEEN CLEANED INSTEAD OF WRITTEN UP. I'M NOT SURE IF SNOW STORM AFFECTED CLEAN-UP TIME.' A NEW RELEASE WAS RECEIVED PRIOR TO TAXIING. COMMENTS: IF THIS FLUID HAD BEEN AN AIRPLANE SYS FLUID; CRITICAL TO THE SAFE OP OF THE AIRPLANE; AND HAD IT NOT BEEN DISCOVERED BY THE CREW BEFORE TKOF; OR IF THIS FLUID WOULD HAVE BEEN CORROSIVE IN NATURE AND LEFT TO ACT ON THE AIRPLANE CARGO HOLD AND POSSIBLY; THE AIRPLANE STRUCTURE; THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ERROR IN RPTING COULD HAVE BEEN LESS THAN DESIRABLE FOR THE CREW AND PAX ONBOARD. THE IMPORTANCE OF A BAGGAGE HANDLER RPTING ANY FLUID SPILLS IN THE PITS; AS IT RELATES TO AIRPLANE/CREW/PAX SAFETY; CAN NOT BE OVERSTATED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.