Narrative:

The aircraft was an unmodified aircraft for aft cargo fire warnings and we had 304 souls on board. I was given a pilot notification for dangerous goods; which indicated that we would be carrying 'dry ice (live bees);' 1 package 120 pounds. The 'loading location' on the form showed 'ice' in 'forward #.' the relief first officer remarked that during his walkaround he noticed that we had a pallet of bees being loaded in the aft cargo pit; and that it was giving off a 'cloud' in the warm air; but that the bees were all intact. Since the form indicated only 1 package of 'dry ice (live bees);' I assumed that the bees were actually in the aft cargo pit. I was later told that there were bees in both pits. In any case; we were all immediately reminded of the 'bee incident' that resulted in a divert; and the 4 of us in the cockpit spent several mins; prior to pushback; recalling the situation and how it was handled (just in case!). At about XA30Z; roughly over nadi; we got a status message indicating cargo aft-4 loop-a. We discussed the situation which had no additional action required. We had 72 degrees of aft cargo temperature on the ecs page. Approximately 30 mins later; we got another status message indicating cargo aft-4 loop-B; this with 73 degrees of aft cargo temperature. This again required no additional action but definitely got our attention. We agreed that if it became necessary; we would prefer to go to fiji versus samoa. We were reviewing the cargo fire detection system in the flight handbook prior to calling maintenance control when we got an aft cargo fire warning (this occurred at XB41Z -- night VFR) with the associated bell and master warning. I silenced the bell; and the aft cargo fire light and EICAS also disappeared. We reviewed the qrc; but did not activate any switches since the warning had gone out immediately; and a test of the fire warning system showed pass. From both of our military backgrounds; we were aware that many fire warnings tend to be 'false indications' when not accompanied by other signs of fire; ie; flames; hot panels; smoke; odor; rising temperatures; etc; so I assigned the flying duties to first officer; woke the relief pilots; and called maintenance dispatch via satcom. I notified the purser and asked the aft flight attendants to check the floor for hot spots; smoke or odors -- there was none. The aft cargo compartment temperature was at 75 degrees and remained there. After a lengthy discussion with maintenance and dispatch; we reset the system to 'single loop' and advised maintenance that the loop B status message went away. We elected to turn off the aft cargo heat switch in an effort to put the bees back into a dormant state. This appeared to work well; however; it took nearly 10 hours to reduce the aft cargo temperature 10 degrees! At 71 degrees of aft cargo temperature we no longer received the intermittent aft cargo fire warnings (there were a total of 6 which were all momentary; and all showed fire test pass). At 68 degrees of aft cargo temperature the status message for loop a disappeared; the flight continued uneventfully; with no additional warnings or status messages. Aft cargo temperature decreased to a low of 66 degrees; we assumed sufficient enough for bees to survive. The first officer and I continued as the 'flying crew members' until we were comfortable with the stabilization of our warnings; and then gave the aircraft to the relief pilots for a short break. After landing; the aft cargo pit was totally cold soaked with moisture. It literally poured water from within as the door was raised. The walls and ceiling were covered with moisture and the bee pallet was off-loaded but was stacked with hives about 4-5 ft from the pallet base. I was later informed that it was stacked higher than agreed upon with the shipper. My recommendations to avoid this in the future would be: 1) don't carry any more bees -- unwarranted diverts are expensive and quick responses to aft cargo fire qrc items can put the aircraft in added danger with the loss of equipment cooling mid-pacific. 2) if bees are to be carried; ensure that only modified aircraft are used. 3) research the feasibility of leaving the aft cargo heat switch off if bees are to be carried. Callback conversation with reporter acn 769630 revealed the following information: the first officer advised the company is in the process of replacing the smoke detectors with a unit programmed to differentiate between bee emissions and smoke related particulate. Subsequent flts with the new detectors were uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 ENCOUNTERS EICAS CARGO COMPARTMENT SMOKE DETECTOR WARNINGS CAUSED BY EMISSIONS FROM HONEYBEE SHIPMENTS. ALSO EXPERIENCE MOMENTARY CARGO FIRE WARNING.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS AN UNMODIFIED ACFT FOR AFT CARGO FIRE WARNINGS AND WE HAD 304 SOULS ON BOARD. I WAS GIVEN A PLT NOTIFICATION FOR DANGEROUS GOODS; WHICH INDICATED THAT WE WOULD BE CARRYING 'DRY ICE (LIVE BEES);' 1 PACKAGE 120 LBS. THE 'LOADING LOCATION' ON THE FORM SHOWED 'ICE' IN 'FORWARD #.' THE RELIEF FO REMARKED THAT DURING HIS WALKAROUND HE NOTICED THAT WE HAD A PALLET OF BEES BEING LOADED IN THE AFT CARGO PIT; AND THAT IT WAS GIVING OFF A 'CLOUD' IN THE WARM AIR; BUT THAT THE BEES WERE ALL INTACT. SINCE THE FORM INDICATED ONLY 1 PACKAGE OF 'DRY ICE (LIVE BEES);' I ASSUMED THAT THE BEES WERE ACTUALLY IN THE AFT CARGO PIT. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT THERE WERE BEES IN BOTH PITS. IN ANY CASE; WE WERE ALL IMMEDIATELY REMINDED OF THE 'BEE INCIDENT' THAT RESULTED IN A DIVERT; AND THE 4 OF US IN THE COCKPIT SPENT SEVERAL MINS; PRIOR TO PUSHBACK; RECALLING THE SIT AND HOW IT WAS HANDLED (JUST IN CASE!). AT ABOUT XA30Z; ROUGHLY OVER NADI; WE GOT A STATUS MESSAGE INDICATING CARGO AFT-4 LOOP-A. WE DISCUSSED THE SIT WHICH HAD NO ADDITIONAL ACTION REQUIRED. WE HAD 72 DEGS OF AFT CARGO TEMP ON THE ECS PAGE. APPROX 30 MINS LATER; WE GOT ANOTHER STATUS MESSAGE INDICATING CARGO AFT-4 LOOP-B; THIS WITH 73 DEGS OF AFT CARGO TEMP. THIS AGAIN REQUIRED NO ADDITIONAL ACTION BUT DEFINITELY GOT OUR ATTN. WE AGREED THAT IF IT BECAME NECESSARY; WE WOULD PREFER TO GO TO FIJI VERSUS SAMOA. WE WERE REVIEWING THE CARGO FIRE DETECTION SYS IN THE FLT HANDBOOK PRIOR TO CALLING MAINT CTL WHEN WE GOT AN AFT CARGO FIRE WARNING (THIS OCCURRED AT XB41Z -- NIGHT VFR) WITH THE ASSOCIATED BELL AND MASTER WARNING. I SILENCED THE BELL; AND THE AFT CARGO FIRE LIGHT AND EICAS ALSO DISAPPEARED. WE REVIEWED THE QRC; BUT DID NOT ACTIVATE ANY SWITCHES SINCE THE WARNING HAD GONE OUT IMMEDIATELY; AND A TEST OF THE FIRE WARNING SYS SHOWED PASS. FROM BOTH OF OUR MIL BACKGROUNDS; WE WERE AWARE THAT MANY FIRE WARNINGS TEND TO BE 'FALSE INDICATIONS' WHEN NOT ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER SIGNS OF FIRE; IE; FLAMES; HOT PANELS; SMOKE; ODOR; RISING TEMPS; ETC; SO I ASSIGNED THE FLYING DUTIES TO FO; WOKE THE RELIEF PLTS; AND CALLED MAINT DISPATCH VIA SATCOM. I NOTIFIED THE PURSER AND ASKED THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS TO CHK THE FLOOR FOR HOT SPOTS; SMOKE OR ODORS -- THERE WAS NONE. THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT TEMP WAS AT 75 DEGS AND REMAINED THERE. AFTER A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH; WE RESET THE SYS TO 'SINGLE LOOP' AND ADVISED MAINT THAT THE LOOP B STATUS MESSAGE WENT AWAY. WE ELECTED TO TURN OFF THE AFT CARGO HEAT SWITCH IN AN EFFORT TO PUT THE BEES BACK INTO A DORMANT STATE. THIS APPEARED TO WORK WELL; HOWEVER; IT TOOK NEARLY 10 HRS TO REDUCE THE AFT CARGO TEMP 10 DEGS! AT 71 DEGS OF AFT CARGO TEMP WE NO LONGER RECEIVED THE INTERMITTENT AFT CARGO FIRE WARNINGS (THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 6 WHICH WERE ALL MOMENTARY; AND ALL SHOWED FIRE TEST PASS). AT 68 DEGS OF AFT CARGO TEMP THE STATUS MESSAGE FOR LOOP A DISAPPEARED; THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY; WITH NO ADDITIONAL WARNINGS OR STATUS MESSAGES. AFT CARGO TEMP DECREASED TO A LOW OF 66 DEGS; WE ASSUMED SUFFICIENT ENOUGH FOR BEES TO SURVIVE. THE FO AND I CONTINUED AS THE 'FLYING CREW MEMBERS' UNTIL WE WERE COMFORTABLE WITH THE STABILIZATION OF OUR WARNINGS; AND THEN GAVE THE ACFT TO THE RELIEF PLTS FOR A SHORT BREAK. AFTER LNDG; THE AFT CARGO PIT WAS TOTALLY COLD SOAKED WITH MOISTURE. IT LITERALLY POURED WATER FROM WITHIN AS THE DOOR WAS RAISED. THE WALLS AND CEILING WERE COVERED WITH MOISTURE AND THE BEE PALLET WAS OFF-LOADED BUT WAS STACKED WITH HIVES ABOUT 4-5 FT FROM THE PALLET BASE. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT IT WAS STACKED HIGHER THAN AGREED UPON WITH THE SHIPPER. MY RECOMMENDATIONS TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE: 1) DON'T CARRY ANY MORE BEES -- UNWARRANTED DIVERTS ARE EXPENSIVE AND QUICK RESPONSES TO AFT CARGO FIRE QRC ITEMS CAN PUT THE ACFT IN ADDED DANGER WITH THE LOSS OF EQUIP COOLING MID-PACIFIC. 2) IF BEES ARE TO BE CARRIED; ENSURE THAT ONLY MODIFIED ACFT ARE USED. 3) RESEARCH THE FEASIBILITY OF LEAVING THE AFT CARGO HEAT SWITCH OFF IF BEES ARE TO BE CARRIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 769630 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO ADVISED THE COMPANY IS IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE SMOKE DETECTORS WITH A UNIT PROGRAMMED TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN BEE EMISSIONS AND SMOKE RELATED PARTICULATE. SUBSEQUENT FLTS WITH THE NEW DETECTORS WERE UNEVENTFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.