Narrative:

Upon pushback, during engine start, senior flight attendant informed so that she picked up a small box given to her by a passenger sitting in aisle seat. She placed box in forward galley and made 2 PA announcements and could not locate owner of box. Captain asked her to bring box to cockpit. So observed that the tape on the outside of the box was loose and the box was open. All 3 cockpit crew members observed the contents to be video tapes. Each tape was examined and was then placed back into the box. The flight continued to dca uneventfully. At the gate, during deplaning, an irate passenger entered the cockpit and expressed his displeasure with the captain for not returning to the gate at lga and calling proper auths. By this time, unknown to the flight crew, the flight attendants were in a real panic. They thought the cockpit crew was ignoring them and we had a total lack of consideration for procedures. To make a long story short, in no way did we, the cockpit crew, have any clue that the flight attendants were upset or did we consider for a moment that this box was a threat - - since it was opened and the contents observed. I would suggest that air carrier's emphasize in stronger terms that good cockpit resource management require individuals to express themselves more fully and not assume that capts can read minds. I might add, that this box was claimed in dca by a man sitting at the window seat next to the individual who picked it up and gave it to the flight attendant. Supplemental information from acn 266036: flew trip normally to dca only to find that flight attendants were in a panic thinking we were flying with a suspected bomb. I never realized this until we reached the gate. Better communications between the flight attendant and captain would have prevented this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT TAXIING FOR TKOF IS BROUGHT AN UNCLAIMED PACKAGE TO COCKPIT.

Narrative: UPON PUSHBACK, DURING ENG START, SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED SO THAT SHE PICKED UP A SMALL BOX GIVEN TO HER BY A PAX SITTING IN AISLE SEAT. SHE PLACED BOX IN FORWARD GALLEY AND MADE 2 PA ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COULD NOT LOCATE OWNER OF BOX. CAPT ASKED HER TO BRING BOX TO COCKPIT. SO OBSERVED THAT THE TAPE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX WAS LOOSE AND THE BOX WAS OPEN. ALL 3 COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS OBSERVED THE CONTENTS TO BE VIDEO TAPES. EACH TAPE WAS EXAMINED AND WAS THEN PLACED BACK INTO THE BOX. THE FLT CONTINUED TO DCA UNEVENTFULLY. AT THE GATE, DURING DEPLANING, AN IRATE PAX ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND EXPRESSED HIS DISPLEASURE WITH THE CAPT FOR NOT RETURNING TO THE GATE AT LGA AND CALLING PROPER AUTHS. BY THIS TIME, UNKNOWN TO THE FLC, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN A REAL PANIC. THEY THOUGHT THE COCKPIT CREW WAS IGNORING THEM AND WE HAD A TOTAL LACK OF CONSIDERATION FOR PROCS. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, IN NO WAY DID WE, THE COCKPIT CREW, HAVE ANY CLUE THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE UPSET OR DID WE CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT THAT THIS BOX WAS A THREAT - - SINCE IT WAS OPENED AND THE CONTENTS OBSERVED. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ACR'S EMPHASIZE IN STRONGER TERMS THAT GOOD COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT REQUIRE INDIVIDUALS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES MORE FULLY AND NOT ASSUME THAT CAPTS CAN READ MINDS. I MIGHT ADD, THAT THIS BOX WAS CLAIMED IN DCA BY A MAN SITTING AT THE WINDOW SEAT NEXT TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO PICKED IT UP AND GAVE IT TO THE FLT ATTENDANT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 266036: FLEW TRIP NORMALLY TO DCA ONLY TO FIND THAT FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN A PANIC THINKING WE WERE FLYING WITH A SUSPECTED BOMB. I NEVER REALIZED THIS UNTIL WE REACHED THE GATE. BETTER COMS BTWN THE FLT ATTENDANT AND CAPT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT.

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.