An imposter bluffs his way into a cockpit authorization.

Attributes
ACN	116772
Time
Date	198907
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : koa
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	116772
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A male saying that he was a pilot with airline requested cockpit authorization on our flight. The dispatcher on duty asked that I check his pilot certificate. Upon meeting the man he produced an airman's certificate, passport, airline identification and I took him to the cockpit for travel. After the authorization and during the subsequent flight, I asked him certain questions relating to airline jobs. His answers were unsatisfactory. When checking the records after the flight, I found the airline company was non existent. He did not stay at the hotel he had told us, and I now an convinced that the man was a total imposter. Solution: develop methods to verify small unknown airline companies. At the company level, toughen up acm procedures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IMPOSTER BLUFFS HIS WAY INTO A COCKPIT AUTHORIZATION.

Narrative: A MALE SAYING THAT HE WAS A PLT WITH AIRLINE REQUESTED COCKPIT AUTHORIZATION ON OUR FLT. THE DISPATCHER ON DUTY ASKED THAT I CHECK HIS PLT CERTIFICATE. UPON MEETING THE MAN HE PRODUCED AN AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE, PASSPORT, AIRLINE ID AND I TOOK HIM TO THE COCKPIT FOR TRAVEL. AFTER THE AUTHORIZATION AND DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FLT, I ASKED HIM CERTAIN QUESTIONS RELATING TO AIRLINE JOBS. HIS ANSWERS WERE UNSATISFACTORY. WHEN CHECKING THE RECORDS AFTER THE FLT, I FOUND THE AIRLINE COMPANY WAS NON EXISTENT. HE DID NOT STAY AT THE HOTEL HE HAD TOLD US, AND I NOW AN CONVINCED THAT THE MAN WAS A TOTAL IMPOSTER. SOLUTION: DEVELOP METHODS TO VERIFY SMALL UNKNOWN AIRLINE COMPANIES. AT THE COMPANY LEVEL, TOUGHEN UP ACM PROCS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.