Narrative:

While taxiing for takeoff, company operations called and stated that one passenger checked his baggage and checked in for the flight but never showed up at the gate for the flight to den. Operations asked if we could come back to the gate to unload the bags but gave no reason, crew elected to go to den and not unload the 2 bags. After takeoff, operations informed us that security would meet us at the gate in den, and to have the passenger identify their bags so security could search the unclaimed bags. Company dispatch told us to continue to the destination. Normal continuation of flight and ground operations in den. Two bags were unclaimed, taken and searched by security, nothing found. The crew was doing checklist, taxiing for takeoff and preparing for the flight, and did not consider the possibility of a security breach. The crew also thought that the operations people had taken care of the ground security. When they called on the radio for us to unload the bags, they never mentioned the security considerations or we would have turned around immediately. They should have been more specific, and also more insistent on the recommendation to unload the bags.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ON TAXI OUT REQUESTED TO RETURN TO UNLOAD BAGS OF PAX NOT ABOARD. ELECTED TO CONTINUE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF, COMPANY OPS CALLED AND STATED THAT ONE PAX CHKED HIS BAGGAGE AND CHKED IN FOR THE FLT BUT NEVER SHOWED UP AT THE GATE FOR THE FLT TO DEN. OPS ASKED IF WE COULD COME BACK TO THE GATE TO UNLOAD THE BAGS BUT GAVE NO REASON, CREW ELECTED TO GO TO DEN AND NOT UNLOAD THE 2 BAGS. AFTER TKOF, OPS INFORMED US THAT SECURITY WOULD MEET US AT THE GATE IN DEN, AND TO HAVE THE PAX IDENTIFY THEIR BAGS SO SECURITY COULD SEARCH THE UNCLAIMED BAGS. COMPANY DISPATCH TOLD US TO CONTINUE TO THE DEST. NORMAL CONTINUATION OF FLT AND GND OPS IN DEN. TWO BAGS WERE UNCLAIMED, TAKEN AND SEARCHED BY SECURITY, NOTHING FOUND. THE CREW WAS DOING CHKLIST, TAXIING FOR TKOF AND PREPARING FOR THE FLT, AND DID NOT CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF A SECURITY BREACH. THE CREW ALSO THOUGHT THAT THE OPS PEOPLE HAD TAKEN CARE OF THE GND SECURITY. WHEN THEY CALLED ON THE RADIO FOR US TO UNLOAD THE BAGS, THEY NEVER MENTIONED THE SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS OR WE WOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND IMMEDIATELY. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC, AND ALSO MORE INSISTENT ON THE RECOMMENDATION TO UNLOAD THE BAGS.

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.