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B737-300 first officer discovers failed cargo fire suppression armed lights on preflight. Maintenance determines bottles were discharged.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 736943 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 736943 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
First flight of the day preflight. First officer was testing the lights when he noticed that the cargo detection/suppression system bottle 1&2 armed lights (green) would not test. We notified maintenance control and they had contract maintenance come out and check the system. Turned out both bottles had actually fired and there was really no indication other than those 2 lights not testing. Kudos to the first officer for doing a thorough preflight and recognizing the discrepancy. Not sure I would have; and I wonder how many aircraft are out there flying with the bottles possibly empty.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 FIRST OFFICER DISCOVERS FAILED CARGO FIRE SUPPRESSION ARMED LIGHTS ON PREFLT. MAINT DETERMINES BOTTLES WERE DISCHARGED.
Narrative: FIRST FLT OF THE DAY PREFLT. FO WAS TESTING THE LIGHTS WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE CARGO DETECTION/SUPPRESSION SYS BOTTLE 1&2 ARMED LIGHTS (GREEN) WOULD NOT TEST. WE NOTIFIED MAINT CTL AND THEY HAD CONTRACT MAINT COME OUT AND CHK THE SYS. TURNED OUT BOTH BOTTLES HAD ACTUALLY FIRED AND THERE WAS REALLY NO INDICATION OTHER THAN THOSE 2 LIGHTS NOT TESTING. KUDOS TO THE FO FOR DOING A THOROUGH PREFLT AND RECOGNIZING THE DISCREPANCY. NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE; AND I WONDER HOW MANY ACFT ARE OUT THERE FLYING WITH THE BOTTLES POSSIBLY EMPTY.
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.