2 company employees were assigned to cockpit observer seats by ramp agent. Flight crew did not detec...

Attributes
ACN	195798
Time
Date	199111
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gso
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	195798
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
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	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While leaving gso, the agent was asked by the captain if any non rev's (meaning company employees) were going to be left behind? The next thing I knew 2 people were walking into the cockpit. We were very busy and just said hello, waved, but really did not view them very close because as soon as they walked in the door was closed on the aircraft, nothing said to us and the jetway was pulled back. I was extremely busy trying to get a push back clearance, do the checklist and brief the jumpseat riders on emergency procedures and use of oxygen. It wasn't until after we were out of 10000 ft that the captain and I almost simultaneously looked back at the jumpseat rider and realized there had been some misinterp by the agent at the gate about what the captain said. After some questioning by the captain we found out one rider was a teenager and the man, his father, worked in administration. They were visiting his mother/wife in gso, but lived in dca separated because of the merger. New merger policy took the captain out of the jumpseat loop decision making and put administrative (jumpseat forms) and control over who rides jumpseat in the hands of agents with no real training on jumpseat courtesy and procedures (bad move!) (poor company policy). The agent, the captain, and the jumpseat riders (they were as surprised as us), were all caught up in circumstances due to extremely poor company policy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 COMPANY EMPLOYEES WERE ASSIGNED TO COCKPIT OBSERVER SEATS BY RAMP AGENT. FLC DID NOT DETECT THAT THE 2 RIDERS WERE NON FLT PERSONNEL UNTIL AIRBORNE.

Narrative: WHILE LEAVING GSO, THE AGENT WAS ASKED BY THE CAPT IF ANY NON REV'S (MEANING COMPANY EMPLOYEES) WERE GOING TO BE LEFT BEHIND? THE NEXT THING I KNEW 2 PEOPLE WERE WALKING INTO THE COCKPIT. WE WERE VERY BUSY AND JUST SAID HELLO, WAVED, BUT REALLY DID NOT VIEW THEM VERY CLOSE BECAUSE AS SOON AS THEY WALKED IN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED ON THE ACFT, NOTHING SAID TO US AND THE JETWAY WAS PULLED BACK. I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY TRYING TO GET A PUSH BACK CLRNC, DO THE CHKLIST AND BRIEF THE JUMPSEAT RIDERS ON EMER PROCS AND USE OF OXYGEN. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER WE WERE OUT OF 10000 FT THAT THE CAPT AND I ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKED BACK AT THE JUMPSEAT RIDER AND REALIZED THERE HAD BEEN SOME MISINTERP BY THE AGENT AT THE GATE ABOUT WHAT THE CAPT SAID. AFTER SOME QUESTIONING BY THE CAPT WE FOUND OUT ONE RIDER WAS A TEENAGER AND THE MAN, HIS FATHER, WORKED IN ADMINISTRATION. THEY WERE VISITING HIS MOTHER/WIFE IN GSO, BUT LIVED IN DCA SEPARATED BECAUSE OF THE MERGER. NEW MERGER POLICY TOOK THE CAPT OUT OF THE JUMPSEAT LOOP DECISION MAKING AND PUT ADMINISTRATIVE (JUMPSEAT FORMS) AND CTL OVER WHO RIDES JUMPSEAT IN THE HANDS OF AGENTS WITH NO REAL TRAINING ON JUMPSEAT COURTESY AND PROCS (BAD MOVE!) (POOR COMPANY POLICY). THE AGENT, THE CAPT, AND THE JUMPSEAT RIDERS (THEY WERE AS SURPRISED AS US), WERE ALL CAUGHT UP IN CIRCUMSTANCES DUE TO EXTREMELY POOR COMPANY POLICY.

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.

2 company employees were assigned to cockpit observer seats by ramp agent. Flight crew did not detect that the 2 riders were non flight personnel until airborne.