Narrative:

I overheard ramp personnel tell flight attendant there was a special message for her on passenger manifest. Paperwork for flight arrived before passenger (located on remote parking ramp, everything comes via bus to aircraft). Beside name of 1 passenger was printed 'please do not serve passenger any alcohol, passenger was very drunk on previous flight.' I immediately called operations and denied boarding to this man. Too late, he was already on bus with other (8) passenger and en route to aircraft. Operations said a passenger agent would be sent out (I presumed to keep passenger off aircraft and escort him back to terminal). Agent came to cockpit before passenger were boarded. She (a company employee) tried to convince me to allow this passenger on board. At all times I gave a firm no to boarding this drunk passenger. Other passenger were boarded. Passenger agent again came to cockpit and more emphatically tried to change my decision. Agent left, flight flown uneventfully. After landing, 3 passenger thanked me for not allowing man aboard whom they described as loud, abusive, and agitated. If I had not happened to overhear ramp telling flight attendant about 'special message on manifest' it is likely this passenger would have been boarded. A 'very drunk' person is a potential threat to all aboard aircraft. Any and all people who allowed this incident to occur need education, re-training, and punishment. Too often passenger agents forget responsibilities for safety and focus only on maintaining schedule integrity by moving the passenger out of the boarding room onto the plane, at all costs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT REFUSES TO ALLOW DRUNK PAX TO BOARD ACFT.

Narrative: I OVERHEARD RAMP PERSONNEL TELL FLT ATTENDANT THERE WAS A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR HER ON PAX MANIFEST. PAPERWORK FOR FLT ARRIVED BEFORE PAX (LOCATED ON REMOTE PARKING RAMP, EVERYTHING COMES VIA BUS TO ACFT). BESIDE NAME OF 1 PAX WAS PRINTED 'PLEASE DO NOT SERVE PAX ANY ALCOHOL, PAX WAS VERY DRUNK ON PREVIOUS FLT.' I IMMEDIATELY CALLED OPS AND DENIED BOARDING TO THIS MAN. TOO LATE, HE WAS ALREADY ON BUS WITH OTHER (8) PAX AND ENRTE TO ACFT. OPS SAID A PAX AGENT WOULD BE SENT OUT (I PRESUMED TO KEEP PAX OFF ACFT AND ESCORT HIM BACK TO TERMINAL). AGENT CAME TO COCKPIT BEFORE PAX WERE BOARDED. SHE (A COMPANY EMPLOYEE) TRIED TO CONVINCE ME TO ALLOW THIS PAX ON BOARD. AT ALL TIMES I GAVE A FIRM NO TO BOARDING THIS DRUNK PAX. OTHER PAX WERE BOARDED. PAX AGENT AGAIN CAME TO COCKPIT AND MORE EMPHATICALLY TRIED TO CHANGE MY DECISION. AGENT LEFT, FLT FLOWN UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER LNDG, 3 PAX THANKED ME FOR NOT ALLOWING MAN ABOARD WHOM THEY DESCRIBED AS LOUD, ABUSIVE, AND AGITATED. IF I HAD NOT HAPPENED TO OVERHEAR RAMP TELLING FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT 'SPECIAL MESSAGE ON MANIFEST' IT IS LIKELY THIS PAX WOULD HAVE BEEN BOARDED. A 'VERY DRUNK' PERSON IS A POTENTIAL THREAT TO ALL ABOARD ACFT. ANY AND ALL PEOPLE WHO ALLOWED THIS INCIDENT TO OCCUR NEED EDUCATION, RE-TRAINING, AND PUNISHMENT. TOO OFTEN PAX AGENTS FORGET RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SAFETY AND FOCUS ONLY ON MAINTAINING SCHEDULE INTEGRITY BY MOVING THE PAX OUT OF THE BOARDING ROOM ONTO THE PLANE, AT ALL COSTS.

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.