Captain censured and threatened by irate passenger because of the captain's allowing his daughter to...

Attributes
ACN	174535
Time
Date	199104
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mxe
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	174535
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

9 yr old child assisting F/a serve peanuts. Captain threatened by passenger with flight violation. I invited my 9 yr old daughter to fly several trips with my crew. She was appropriately dressed and especially polite with any passenger who happened to talk to her. During one of the legs the F/a asked me, as captain, if it would be all right if once they reached a smooth cruising altitude, if my daughter assisted the F/a serve peanut snacks. I gave them my permission as the WX was clear and smooth. She helped for short periods, at altitude, on 1 or 2 legs. On 1 leg, however, from white plains to washington, a passenger, mr. H, threatened to violate the captain for his daughter serving peanuts. Mr. H had boarded late in white plains and appeared tense and distraught. The flight was held 1 or 2 mins in white plains due to his late arrival. He then proceeded to speak harshly to the F/a because a child wouldn't move out of his way and give him the front aisle seat which he wanted. The child moved, however. The F/a had already moved him to another open row. (The flight was less than 1/2 full.) at altitude, mr. H saw the captain's daughter serving 2 or 3 people peanuts. Mr. H said, 'that is in violation of far's!' the F/a politely asked mr. H which far was being violated, if he worked for the FAA, and if so, could she see his identify? He said he did work for the FAA, was off-duty, but didn't have his identify. (Note: the seat belt sign was off for appropriate portions of cruise flight.) at this point, mr. H said he was going to write up a violation on the captain. The F/a advised the captain. The captain was also told that mr. H, 'unstrapped his seat belt on an active taxiway and blocked the emergency exit with his briefcase.' the captain spoke briefly with mr. H following the flight and also discussed the matter with the company chief pilot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT CENSURED AND THREATENED BY IRATE PASSENGER BECAUSE OF THE CAPT'S ALLOWING HIS DAUGHTER TO SERVE PEANUTS TO OTHER PASSENGERS WHILE IN FLT.

Narrative: 9 YR OLD CHILD ASSISTING F/A SERVE PEANUTS. CAPT THREATENED BY PAX WITH FLT VIOLATION. I INVITED MY 9 YR OLD DAUGHTER TO FLY SEVERAL TRIPS WITH MY CREW. SHE WAS APPROPRIATELY DRESSED AND ESPECIALLY POLITE WITH ANY PAX WHO HAPPENED TO TALK TO HER. DURING ONE OF THE LEGS THE F/A ASKED ME, AS CAPT, IF IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT IF ONCE THEY REACHED A SMOOTH CRUISING ALT, IF MY DAUGHTER ASSISTED THE F/A SERVE PEANUT SNACKS. I GAVE THEM MY PERMISSION AS THE WX WAS CLR AND SMOOTH. SHE HELPED FOR SHORT PERIODS, AT ALT, ON 1 OR 2 LEGS. ON 1 LEG, HOWEVER, FROM WHITE PLAINS TO WASHINGTON, A PAX, MR. H, THREATENED TO VIOLATE THE CAPT FOR HIS DAUGHTER SERVING PEANUTS. MR. H HAD BOARDED LATE IN WHITE PLAINS AND APPEARED TENSE AND DISTRAUGHT. THE FLT WAS HELD 1 OR 2 MINS IN WHITE PLAINS DUE TO HIS LATE ARR. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO SPEAK HARSHLY TO THE F/A BECAUSE A CHILD WOULDN'T MOVE OUT OF HIS WAY AND GIVE HIM THE FRONT AISLE SEAT WHICH HE WANTED. THE CHILD MOVED, HOWEVER. THE F/A HAD ALREADY MOVED HIM TO ANOTHER OPEN ROW. (THE FLT WAS LESS THAN 1/2 FULL.) AT ALT, MR. H SAW THE CAPT'S DAUGHTER SERVING 2 OR 3 PEOPLE PEANUTS. MR. H SAID, 'THAT IS IN VIOLATION OF FAR'S!' THE F/A POLITELY ASKED MR. H WHICH FAR WAS BEING VIOLATED, IF HE WORKED FOR THE FAA, AND IF SO, COULD SHE SEE HIS IDENT? HE SAID HE DID WORK FOR THE FAA, WAS OFF-DUTY, BUT DIDN'T HAVE HIS IDENT. (NOTE: THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS OFF FOR APPROPRIATE PORTIONS OF CRUISE FLT.) AT THIS POINT, MR. H SAID HE WAS GOING TO WRITE UP A VIOLATION ON THE CAPT. THE F/A ADVISED THE CAPT. THE CAPT WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MR. H, 'UNSTRAPPED HIS SEAT BELT ON AN ACTIVE TXWY AND BLOCKED THE EMER EXIT WITH HIS BRIEFCASE.' THE CAPT SPOKE BRIEFLY WITH MR. H FOLLOWING THE FLT AND ALSO DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH THE COMPANY CHIEF PLT.

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

Captain censured and threatened by irate passenger because of the captain's allowing his daughter to serve peanuts to other passengers while in flight.