Passenger causes a disturbance at the gate prior to engine start.

Attributes
ACN	192341
Time
Date	199110
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
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 : 10500 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	192341
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	193002
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While reading the before start checklist, the B position flight attendant entered the cockpit and said she had a confrontation with a passenger over stowing a brief case in the overhead storage bin. I called for a passenger service agent supervisor to handle the situation since we were still at the gate, and the flight attendant alleged she was pushed by the passenger. Policy states that the station manager is in charge of the aircraft loading while still at the gate. Also I had no way of knowing exactly what happened since neither I nor any other crew member witnessed the incident, and the flight attendant said she did not want to press charges, she wanted him off the airplane. After the supervisor returned to say the passenger was seated and should present no problem, I determined it was safe to depart. We departed and the flight was uneventful. However, the boarding process disrupted our cockpit flow and we were fortunate no errors occurred because we followed cockpit procedures. I feel the procedures for carry-on baggage need to be revised to prevent these types of problems. I also feel the flight attendant could have prevented this disruption with a little common sense. Supplemental information from acn 193002: the captain asked her how the man behaved to her and she said he was a 'perfect gentleman.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX CAUSES A DISTURBANCE AT THE GATE PRIOR TO ENG START.

Narrative: WHILE READING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST, THE B POS FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND SAID SHE HAD A CONFRONTATION WITH A PAX OVER STOWING A BRIEF CASE IN THE OVERHEAD STORAGE BIN. I CALLED FOR A PAX SVC AGENT SUPVR TO HANDLE THE SITUATION SINCE WE WERE STILL AT THE GATE, AND THE FLT ATTENDANT ALLEGED SHE WAS PUSHED BY THE PAX. POLICY STATES THAT THE STATION MGR IS IN CHARGE OF THE ACFT LOADING WHILE STILL AT THE GATE. ALSO I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED SINCE NEITHER I NOR ANY OTHER CREW MEMBER WITNESSED THE INCIDENT, AND THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE DID NOT WANT TO PRESS CHARGES, SHE WANTED HIM OFF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER THE SUPVR RETURNED TO SAY THE PAX WAS SEATED AND SHOULD PRESENT NO PROBLEM, I DETERMINED IT WAS SAFE TO DEPART. WE DEPARTED AND THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER, THE BOARDING PROCESS DISRUPTED OUR COCKPIT FLOW AND WE WERE FORTUNATE NO ERRORS OCCURRED BECAUSE WE FOLLOWED COCKPIT PROCS. I FEEL THE PROCS FOR CARRY-ON BAGGAGE NEED TO BE REVISED TO PREVENT THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS. I ALSO FEEL THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS DISRUPTION WITH A LITTLE COMMON SENSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 193002: THE CAPT ASKED HER HOW THE MAN BEHAVED TO HER AND SHE SAID HE WAS A 'PERFECT GENTLEMAN.'

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.