B737-300 flight crew has hazardous goods handled improperly.

Attributes
ACN	718268
Time
Date	200611
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 496
ASRS Report	718268
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Dangerous goods incident. This incident occurred at iad and msy. About 5 mins prior to push at iad; ramp service brought a pilot notification form to the cockpit for a battery pwred wheelchair that had been placed in pit #2. We departed uneventfully for msy. Flight was normal -- landed normally in msy. After landing; msy ramp service unloaded the wheelchair and brought it up the jetway for our customer. Immediately the customer saw that something was wrong. The 2 batteries had been removed from the chair. One of the batteries had the wires pulled out of the quick disconnect fitting. On this chair both batteries had a quick disconnect fitting that allowed for the batteries to be removed from the chair. These bare wires if touched would have shorted out the battery causing arcing and possibly a fire. It appeared that whoever damaged the battery used a zip tie to attempt to keep the live wires from touching. Fortunately; through luck; these wires did not touch in-flight. I reviewed the pilot notification form with ramp service in msy. They pointed out to me that the form had also been filled out incorrectly. The person who filled out the form did the procedure for 'battery attached to chair' versus the correct 'battery removed and boxed' procedure. Even if they had followed the correct procedure it clearly states 'battery cables removed and terminals taped.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW HAS HAZARDOUS GOODS HANDLED IMPROPERLY.

Narrative: DANGEROUS GOODS INCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT IAD AND MSY. ABOUT 5 MINS PRIOR TO PUSH AT IAD; RAMP SVC BROUGHT A PLT NOTIFICATION FORM TO THE COCKPIT FOR A BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIR THAT HAD BEEN PLACED IN PIT #2. WE DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY FOR MSY. FLT WAS NORMAL -- LANDED NORMALLY IN MSY. AFTER LNDG; MSY RAMP SVC UNLOADED THE WHEELCHAIR AND BROUGHT IT UP THE JETWAY FOR OUR CUSTOMER. IMMEDIATELY THE CUSTOMER SAW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE 2 BATTERIES HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CHAIR. ONE OF THE BATTERIES HAD THE WIRES PULLED OUT OF THE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING. ON THIS CHAIR BOTH BATTERIES HAD A QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING THAT ALLOWED FOR THE BATTERIES TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CHAIR. THESE BARE WIRES IF TOUCHED WOULD HAVE SHORTED OUT THE BATTERY CAUSING ARCING AND POSSIBLY A FIRE. IT APPEARED THAT WHOEVER DAMAGED THE BATTERY USED A ZIP TIE TO ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE LIVE WIRES FROM TOUCHING. FORTUNATELY; THROUGH LUCK; THESE WIRES DID NOT TOUCH INFLT. I REVIEWED THE PLT NOTIFICATION FORM WITH RAMP SVC IN MSY. THEY POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THE FORM HAD ALSO BEEN FILLED OUT INCORRECTLY. THE PERSON WHO FILLED OUT THE FORM DID THE PROC FOR 'BATTERY ATTACHED TO CHAIR' VERSUS THE CORRECT 'BATTERY REMOVED AND BOXED' PROC. EVEN IF THEY HAD FOLLOWED THE CORRECT PROC IT CLRLY STATES 'BATTERY CABLES REMOVED AND TERMINALS TAPED.'

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.