Narrative:

The system needs to be improved. The armed passenger must be informed that he/she must personally check in with the captain. Asking overworked agents to remember is asking for human error to occur. We have more than 1 agent working a flight, it's easy for each to think the other has notified captain and flight attendants. FAA needs to change regulations to accomplish this! Upon landing at lax, the flight attendant notified me via interphone that we had an armed fbi agent on board who was unknown to the flight attendants and flight crew. The only reason that she found out that he was on board was that on final approach (after the 'prepare for landing'), he asked the flight attendant if she knew where the other armed agent was seated since he wanted to talk to him after landing! I requested that a company supervisor meet the flight. After reaching the gate, both the supervisor and I talked with the agent, mr. X. According to agent, mr. X, he entered security at sfo through the gate area. He idented himself to the security screener. The security screener had him sign into the armed passenger book in the security area. The security screener then directed him to the podium area to clear with the ticket agent. According to the fbi agent, he spoke with an employee (he could recall no details about his/her appearance) who signed the form, gave him a white copy, told him that the agent would give a copy to the captain and that he no longer had to introduce himself to the flight crew. Agent X indicated that he perceived this as a change in policy instructions since he had traveled previously and had in the past introduced himself to the flight crew. Agent X was not listed in the computer on flight OOOX as an armed passenger, was not listed on the flight attendant manifest as an armed passenger, and did not identify himself to either the captain or ffa. Agent X indicated that the reason he thought there was another armed passenger on the same flight was that when he signed in at the armed passenger book, he noted the name just above his was listed as an armed passenger on his same flight. In later reviewing the armed passenger book (my title for the sign-in sheet) at gate, I noted that agent X had apparently signed in on the date and time, however, instead of listing his flight as OOOX, he wrote his flight as OOOY (apparently OOOY is not a west coast flight, but operates out of boston, so the flight number appears to be a 'typo' on agent X's part). Interestingly, the name above agent X was also listed on OOOY. In reviewing the company paper work entitled 'notice to armed individuals and prisoner escorts' (urs form 4013 revision 6/88), I note in the instructions to the armed individuals that nowhere is the armed passenger instructed to introduce himself/herself to the captain. Recommendation: that the company form be modified (and FAA regulations amended if needed) to specifically state that armed individuals should introduce themselves personally to the captain on every flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARMED PAX ON BOARD WITHOUT CAPT OR FLT ATTENDANT KNOWLEDGE.

Narrative: THE SYS NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED. THE ARMED PAX MUST BE INFORMED THAT HE/SHE MUST PERSONALLY CHK IN WITH THE CAPT. ASKING OVERWORKED AGENTS TO REMEMBER IS ASKING FOR HUMAN ERROR TO OCCUR. WE HAVE MORE THAN 1 AGENT WORKING A FLT, IT'S EASY FOR EACH TO THINK THE OTHER HAS NOTIFIED CAPT AND FLT ATTENDANTS. FAA NEEDS TO CHANGE REGS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS! UPON LNDG AT LAX, THE FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME VIA INTERPHONE THAT WE HAD AN ARMED FBI AGENT ON BOARD WHO WAS UNKNOWN TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND FLC. THE ONLY REASON THAT SHE FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS ON BOARD WAS THAT ON FINAL APCH (AFTER THE 'PREPARE FOR LNDG'), HE ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT IF SHE KNEW WHERE THE OTHER ARMED AGENT WAS SEATED SINCE HE WANTED TO TALK TO HIM AFTER LNDG! I REQUESTED THAT A COMPANY SUPVR MEET THE FLT. AFTER REACHING THE GATE, BOTH THE SUPVR AND I TALKED WITH THE AGENT, MR. X. ACCORDING TO AGENT, MR. X, HE ENTERED SECURITY AT SFO THROUGH THE GATE AREA. HE IDENTED HIMSELF TO THE SECURITY SCREENER. THE SECURITY SCREENER HAD HIM SIGN INTO THE ARMED PAX BOOK IN THE SECURITY AREA. THE SECURITY SCREENER THEN DIRECTED HIM TO THE PODIUM AREA TO CLR WITH THE TICKET AGENT. ACCORDING TO THE FBI AGENT, HE SPOKE WITH AN EMPLOYEE (HE COULD RECALL NO DETAILS ABOUT HIS/HER APPEARANCE) WHO SIGNED THE FORM, GAVE HIM A WHITE COPY, TOLD HIM THAT THE AGENT WOULD GIVE A COPY TO THE CAPT AND THAT HE NO LONGER HAD TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO THE FLC. AGENT X INDICATED THAT HE PERCEIVED THIS AS A CHANGE IN POLICY INSTRUCTIONS SINCE HE HAD TRAVELED PREVIOUSLY AND HAD IN THE PAST INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO THE FLC. AGENT X WAS NOT LISTED IN THE COMPUTER ON FLT OOOX AS AN ARMED PAX, WAS NOT LISTED ON THE FLT ATTENDANT MANIFEST AS AN ARMED PAX, AND DID NOT IDENT HIMSELF TO EITHER THE CAPT OR FFA. AGENT X INDICATED THAT THE REASON HE THOUGHT THERE WAS ANOTHER ARMED PAX ON THE SAME FLT WAS THAT WHEN HE SIGNED IN AT THE ARMED PAX BOOK, HE NOTED THE NAME JUST ABOVE HIS WAS LISTED AS AN ARMED PAX ON HIS SAME FLT. IN LATER REVIEWING THE ARMED PAX BOOK (MY TITLE FOR THE SIGN-IN SHEET) AT GATE, I NOTED THAT AGENT X HAD APPARENTLY SIGNED IN ON THE DATE AND TIME, HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF LISTING HIS FLT AS OOOX, HE WROTE HIS FLT AS OOOY (APPARENTLY OOOY IS NOT A W COAST FLT, BUT OPERATES OUT OF BOSTON, SO THE FLT NUMBER APPEARS TO BE A 'TYPO' ON AGENT X'S PART). INTERESTINGLY, THE NAME ABOVE AGENT X WAS ALSO LISTED ON OOOY. IN REVIEWING THE COMPANY PAPER WORK ENTITLED 'NOTICE TO ARMED INDIVIDUALS AND PRISONER ESCORTS' (URS FORM 4013 REVISION 6/88), I NOTE IN THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ARMED INDIVIDUALS THAT NOWHERE IS THE ARMED PAX INSTRUCTED TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF/HERSELF TO THE CAPT. RECOMMENDATION: THAT THE COMPANY FORM BE MODIFIED (AND FAA REGS AMENDED IF NEEDED) TO SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT ARMED INDIVIDUALS SHOULD INTRODUCE THEMSELVES PERSONALLY TO THE CAPT ON EVERY FLT.

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.