Narrative:

Hazmat. Prior to departing the gate on flight; we were asked to check if a passenger's scooter was loaded in cargo. I spoke to the crew chief and asked if the scooter was loaded; if it was electric or gas; and if there was any paperwork with it. He responded that it was electric and 'no' there was not any paperwork with the item. I noted per flight manual that we needed to see a weight and balance on the closeout since we were not being given a form X. As per flight manual; wheelchair batteries are permitted as checked baggage if the weight and balance is on the closeout. Additionally; there are requirements that must be met including disconnecting the battery and insulating terminals; etc. We departed the gate and upon receiving the closeout; noticed that we did not have the weight and balance on the closeout. I had the first officer call operations and inform them of our need for a weight and balance indication on the closeout and to confirm the battery cables were disconnected. They called the crew chief and he said no; he had not done anything with the batteries and they just loaded the scooter. Operations then stated the scooter was originally loaded on a different flight. They said they would have an agent fill out a new form X. I called the hazmat question line listed in flight manual. The agent was not very knowledgeable. I stated we had an electric scooter; not a wheelchair. I asked if these personal mobility devices are to be considered wheelchairs per cargo procedures? I stated we did not have form X nor did our closeout have the required weight and balance; if it was going to be considered a wheelchair. All she would confirm is that if it is a non spillable battery; we did not need to 'do anything' it was ok for transport 'as is.' I mentioned that was not the case and that flight manual stated the battery must be disconnected from the unit at a minimum. Since operations could not confirm the status of the battery on the scooter we had to return to the gate. Upon arrival; the ground crew located the scooter but informed me there was nothing they could disconnect. I confirmed that instead of cables; this unit made contact with the battery terminals when the seat made contact. They then removed the battery to prevent contacting the terminals to the unit. Closed and ready for departure just before leaving the gate we checked our revised closeout for the weight and balance remarks. Still not on the closeout; the crew chief went to resubmit. Second revision to the closeout and still no weight and balance. I again informed the crew chief who went to input the information yet again. Now taxiing; we received a third revision on the closeout and still the weight and balance remarks were missing. We verbally confirmed the loading of the scooter and departed never having received the weight and balance on the closeout and not having the form X. This scooter also more than likely flew on the prior flight without the flight crew's knowledge and with the battery still connected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 CAPTAIN IS FRUSTRATED AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN APPROPRIATE HANDLING AND HAZMAT PAPERWORK FOR ELECTRIC SCOOTER BOARDED AS CARGO PROVE FRUITLESS.

Narrative: HAZMAT. PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE GATE ON FLT; WE WERE ASKED TO CHK IF A PAX'S SCOOTER WAS LOADED IN CARGO. I SPOKE TO THE CREW CHIEF AND ASKED IF THE SCOOTER WAS LOADED; IF IT WAS ELECTRIC OR GAS; AND IF THERE WAS ANY PAPERWORK WITH IT. HE RESPONDED THAT IT WAS ELECTRIC AND 'NO' THERE WAS NOT ANY PAPERWORK WITH THE ITEM. I NOTED PER FLT MANUAL THAT WE NEEDED TO SEE A WT AND BAL ON THE CLOSEOUT SINCE WE WERE NOT BEING GIVEN A FORM X. AS PER FLT MANUAL; WHEELCHAIR BATTERIES ARE PERMITTED AS CHKED BAGGAGE IF THE WT AND BAL IS ON THE CLOSEOUT. ADDITIONALLY; THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE MET INCLUDING DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY AND INSULATING TERMINALS; ETC. WE DEPARTED THE GATE AND UPON RECEIVING THE CLOSEOUT; NOTICED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE WT AND BAL ON THE CLOSEOUT. I HAD THE FO CALL OPS AND INFORM THEM OF OUR NEED FOR A WT AND BAL INDICATION ON THE CLOSEOUT AND TO CONFIRM THE BATTERY CABLES WERE DISCONNECTED. THEY CALLED THE CREW CHIEF AND HE SAID NO; HE HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING WITH THE BATTERIES AND THEY JUST LOADED THE SCOOTER. OPS THEN STATED THE SCOOTER WAS ORIGINALLY LOADED ON A DIFFERENT FLT. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE AN AGENT FILL OUT A NEW FORM X. I CALLED THE HAZMAT QUESTION LINE LISTED IN FLT MANUAL. THE AGENT WAS NOT VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. I STATED WE HAD AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER; NOT A WHEELCHAIR. I ASKED IF THESE PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED WHEELCHAIRS PER CARGO PROCS? I STATED WE DID NOT HAVE FORM X NOR DID OUR CLOSEOUT HAVE THE REQUIRED WT AND BAL; IF IT WAS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED A WHEELCHAIR. ALL SHE WOULD CONFIRM IS THAT IF IT IS A NON SPILLABLE BATTERY; WE DID NOT NEED TO 'DO ANYTHING' IT WAS OK FOR TRANSPORT 'AS IS.' I MENTIONED THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AND THAT FLT MANUAL STATED THE BATTERY MUST BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE UNIT AT A MINIMUM. SINCE OPS COULD NOT CONFIRM THE STATUS OF THE BATTERY ON THE SCOOTER WE HAD TO RETURN TO THE GATE. UPON ARR; THE GND CREW LOCATED THE SCOOTER BUT INFORMED ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DISCONNECT. I CONFIRMED THAT INSTEAD OF CABLES; THIS UNIT MADE CONTACT WITH THE BATTERY TERMINALS WHEN THE SEAT MADE CONTACT. THEY THEN REMOVED THE BATTERY TO PREVENT CONTACTING THE TERMINALS TO THE UNIT. CLOSED AND READY FOR DEP JUST BEFORE LEAVING THE GATE WE CHKED OUR REVISED CLOSEOUT FOR THE WT AND BAL REMARKS. STILL NOT ON THE CLOSEOUT; THE CREW CHIEF WENT TO RESUBMIT. SECOND REVISION TO THE CLOSEOUT AND STILL NO WT AND BAL. I AGAIN INFORMED THE CREW CHIEF WHO WENT TO INPUT THE INFO YET AGAIN. NOW TAXIING; WE RECEIVED A THIRD REVISION ON THE CLOSEOUT AND STILL THE WT AND BAL REMARKS WERE MISSING. WE VERBALLY CONFIRMED THE LOADING OF THE SCOOTER AND DEPARTED NEVER HAVING RECEIVED THE WT AND BAL ON THE CLOSEOUT AND NOT HAVING THE FORM X. THIS SCOOTER ALSO MORE THAN LIKELY FLEW ON THE PRIOR FLT WITHOUT THE FLT CREW'S KNOWLEDGE AND WITH THE BATTERY STILL CONNECTED.

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.