Captain of mdt air carrier agreed to transport a dangerous prisoner in handcuffs.

Attributes
ACN	127991
Time
Date	198911
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	127991
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A prisoner with 2 armed guards was boarded. We requested that the handcuffs be removed. One guard said, 'we consider him to be dangerous.' I checked with my operations manual which says we can only take 'prisoners not declared dangerous;' however, I remembered discussions taking place that our new parent company did accept dangerous prisoners, and that we 'probably would too,' so I asked on the radio for dca operations to check with our dispatchers to see if we could accept 'dangerous prisoners.' they came back and said 'your dispatcher says 'yes'.' (my first officer heard this whole conversation on his radio). So, we took all 3, and the handcuffs stayed on the prisoner. The next day I checked with our flight department and they knew nothing about 'dangerous prisoners.' now I'm mad at myself for not insisting on a hard copy from dispatch, and mad and them (dca-sby) for not giving me accurate information. Next time a hard copy of any variations from the operations manual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF MDT ACR AGREED TO TRANSPORT A DANGEROUS PRISONER IN HANDCUFFS.

Narrative: A PRISONER WITH 2 ARMED GUARDS WAS BOARDED. WE REQUESTED THAT THE HANDCUFFS BE REMOVED. ONE GUARD SAID, 'WE CONSIDER HIM TO BE DANGEROUS.' I CHKED WITH MY OPS MANUAL WHICH SAYS WE CAN ONLY TAKE 'PRISONERS NOT DECLARED DANGEROUS;' HOWEVER, I REMEMBERED DISCUSSIONS TAKING PLACE THAT OUR NEW PARENT COMPANY DID ACCEPT DANGEROUS PRISONERS, AND THAT WE 'PROBABLY WOULD TOO,' SO I ASKED ON THE RADIO FOR DCA OPS TO CHK WITH OUR DISPATCHERS TO SEE IF WE COULD ACCEPT 'DANGEROUS PRISONERS.' THEY CAME BACK AND SAID 'YOUR DISPATCHER SAYS 'YES'.' (MY F/O HEARD THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION ON HIS RADIO). SO, WE TOOK ALL 3, AND THE HANDCUFFS STAYED ON THE PRISONER. THE NEXT DAY I CHKED WITH OUR FLT DEPT AND THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT 'DANGEROUS PRISONERS.' NOW I'M MAD AT MYSELF FOR NOT INSISTING ON A HARD COPY FROM DISPATCH, AND MAD AND THEM (DCA-SBY) FOR NOT GIVING ME ACCURATE INFO. NEXT TIME A HARD COPY OF ANY VARIATIONS FROM THE OPS MANUAL.

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.