COMPANY DISPATCHER OVERHEARD STATION MGR TALKING ON THE PHONE TO ANOTHER STATION MGR REGARDING AN ILLEGAL HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SHIPMENT BEING CARRIED ABOARD ONE OF THEIR COMMUTER FLTS. THE SHIPMENT CONTAINED COMPRESSED METHANE AND MARKED NOT TO BE CARRIED ON PAX ACFT.

Narrative

ACR X DEPARTED MAF FEB/THU/98; XA44Z; ARRIVED DFW FEB/FRI/98; XC25Z. AT XD00Z; THIS DISPATCHER; WHO HAD DISPATCHED AND FLT FOLLOWED ACR X; HEARD MGR-ON-DUTY TALKING ON PHONE ABOUT ILLEGAL HAZARDOUS MATERIAL HAVING BEEN CARRIED ON A MAF FLT TO DFW. UPON ASKING; DISPATCHER LEARNED A BOX (CLEARLY LABELED AS HAZMAT/DO NOT CARRY ON PAX ACFT) CONTAINING COMPRESSED METHANE HAD BEEN CARRIED ON ACR X. CERTAINLY THE OPS PERSON(S) ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS UNSAFE EVENT; HOWEVER; I ALSO BELIEVE ACR X; THROUGH LOW PAY/BENEFITS; INADEQUATE TRAINING; WHICH CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT OF LOW MORALE AND HIGH TURNOVER RATE AMONG EMPLOYEES; IS AS MUCH RESPONSIBLE AS THE SPECIFIC OPS AGENT(S) IN MAF. WITH RECENT DEICING EVENTS IN LBB IN MIND; THIS DISPATCHER FEELS A DANGEROUS TREND IS MANIFESTING ITSELF. I HOPE ACR X MGMNT AND FAA TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION; IE; PAY PEOPLE TO MAKE THIS A CAREER- TYPE JOB; TRAIN PEOPLE TO THE BEST STANDARDS; AND DO THE RIGHT THING MORALLY; REGARDLESS WHAT THE 'WORLD' SETS AS STANDARDS.