Narrative:

6/19 airlines flight en route from msy to den diverted into cos due to thunderstorm closure of den. Our passenger had been onboard the aircraft for an 1:45 gate hold in msy, plus a 3:10 flight from msy to cos, including holding. The captain, in an effort to provide relief to the passenger, arranged for our passenger to use the facs in the FBO. Captain first entered the FBO to check with a desk clerk and to check out the FBO's facs and security. After evaluating the area, captain believed the area to be a secure area. He reboarded the aircraft and made an announcement offering to anyone who chose the opportunity to deplane to use the phones and facs in the FBO. Captain coordinated with the flight service managed (senior F/a) to provide constant supervision of the passenger with 2 F/a's onboard the aircraft at all times and other 2, plus the captain, with the passenger on the ramp and inside the FBO. The first that I became aware of the captain's plans was after the passenger began to deplane. I met captain on the ramp near the aft airstairs of our aircraft. After I asked why the passenger were deplaning, he explained the plans to me. At this time I asked the captain if the FBO was secure or if security was present. He assumed me that he looked over the FBO and that he felt it was secure. During this conversation, I expressed my concerns with security to captain. After the WX delay and after maintenance was performed on our aircraft and signed off in the logbook, the passenger were reboarded from the FBO and we departed from cos to den. During the F/east's 'in range' call to company operations in den, we were informed that we may have breached security by boarding from the FBO. The aircraft was parked on gage in den and the passenger were required to immediately exit the secured area and reenter through security screening chkpoints. Captain was directed to phone the FAA. He was asked to explain how the passenger had been handled and gave details of the incident. During my conversation with captain on the ramp, I expressed concern over the deplaning, expressly the security of the FBO bldg/area. The captain felt confident that the area was secured, however, and returned to the FBO after we spoke.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER DIVERSION TO AN ALTERNATE AND AN EXTENSIVE GND HOLD, THE CAPT ALLOWED THE PASSENGERS TO DEPLANE AND USE FBO FACS. QUESTION HAS BEEN RAISED ABOUT FBO SECURITY.

Narrative: 6/19 AIRLINES FLT ENRTE FROM MSY TO DEN DIVERTED INTO COS DUE TO TSTM CLOSURE OF DEN. OUR PAX HAD BEEN ONBOARD THE ACFT FOR AN 1:45 GATE HOLD IN MSY, PLUS A 3:10 FLT FROM MSY TO COS, INCLUDING HOLDING. THE CAPT, IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO THE PAX, ARRANGED FOR OUR PAX TO USE THE FACS IN THE FBO. CAPT FIRST ENTERED THE FBO TO CHK WITH A DESK CLERK AND TO CHK OUT THE FBO'S FACS AND SECURITY. AFTER EVALUATING THE AREA, CAPT BELIEVED THE AREA TO BE A SECURE AREA. HE REBOARDED THE ACFT AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OFFERING TO ANYONE WHO CHOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEPLANE TO USE THE PHONES AND FACS IN THE FBO. CAPT COORDINATED WITH THE FLT SVC MANAGED (SENIOR F/A) TO PROVIDE CONSTANT SUPERVISION OF THE PAX WITH 2 F/A'S ONBOARD THE ACFT AT ALL TIMES AND OTHER 2, PLUS THE CAPT, WITH THE PAX ON THE RAMP AND INSIDE THE FBO. THE FIRST THAT I BECAME AWARE OF THE CAPT'S PLANS WAS AFTER THE PAX BEGAN TO DEPLANE. I MET CAPT ON THE RAMP NEAR THE AFT AIRSTAIRS OF OUR ACFT. AFTER I ASKED WHY THE PAX WERE DEPLANING, HE EXPLAINED THE PLANS TO ME. AT THIS TIME I ASKED THE CAPT IF THE FBO WAS SECURE OR IF SECURITY WAS PRESENT. HE ASSUMED ME THAT HE LOOKED OVER THE FBO AND THAT HE FELT IT WAS SECURE. DURING THIS CONVERSATION, I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS WITH SECURITY TO CAPT. AFTER THE WX DELAY AND AFTER MAINT WAS PERFORMED ON OUR ACFT AND SIGNED OFF IN THE LOGBOOK, THE PAX WERE REBOARDED FROM THE FBO AND WE DEPARTED FROM COS TO DEN. DURING THE F/E'S 'IN RANGE' CALL TO COMPANY OPS IN DEN, WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE MAY HAVE BREACHED SECURITY BY BOARDING FROM THE FBO. THE ACFT WAS PARKED ON GAGE IN DEN AND THE PAX WERE REQUIRED TO IMMEDIATELY EXIT THE SECURED AREA AND REENTER THROUGH SECURITY SCREENING CHKPOINTS. CAPT WAS DIRECTED TO PHONE THE FAA. HE WAS ASKED TO EXPLAIN HOW THE PAX HAD BEEN HANDLED AND GAVE DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT. DURING MY CONVERSATION WITH CAPT ON THE RAMP, I EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE DEPLANING, EXPRESSLY THE SECURITY OF THE FBO BLDG/AREA. THE CAPT FELT CONFIDENT THAT THE AREA WAS SECURED, HOWEVER, AND RETURNED TO THE FBO AFTER WE SPOKE.

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.