Narrative:

Air carrier crew was scheduled early am EST departure out of dca. Front doors of airport terminal open at X30 am. We were to depart at Y am. Entered terminal at X30 am no security personnel at security check point at X30 am. Uniformed personnel cleaning airport in area. We stated we needed to go to operations and to aircraft for Y am departure. They advised us that security personnel would not arrive at check point until Y am (our departure time). Uniformed airport employees instructed us that it was okay to enter secured area. We did! After the fact wondered if it was legal to enter security area in this way. We were told it was okay by port employees, also we were operating under part 91 operations due to ferry flight? Suggest if air carrier schedules a flight earlier than security opens, to arrange to have security meet air crew before flight. Does air carrier crew operating part 91 ferry fall under same screening as part 121 flts? Please answer in ASRS reports! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has taken the matter to company repesentatives but has had no response at this time. Analyst contacted civil aviation security field office representative who indicated that as long as the flight crew are on duty and wear proper identify they are legal to pass into secure area. They must be official crew members however, not dead heading pilots. Applies to 91 as well as 121. Reporter quite concerned that the word be spread through callback if possible as this happens too often for comfort.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC ARRIVES AT ARPT FOR FERRY FLT, NO SECURITY PRESENT. PROCEED TO ACFT FOR EARLY FLT.

Narrative: ACR CREW WAS SCHEDULED EARLY AM EST DEP OUT OF DCA. FRONT DOORS OF ARPT TERMINAL OPEN AT X30 AM. WE WERE TO DEPART AT Y AM. ENTERED TERMINAL AT X30 AM NO SECURITY PERSONNEL AT SECURITY CHK POINT AT X30 AM. UNIFORMED PERSONNEL CLEANING ARPT IN AREA. WE STATED WE NEEDED TO GO TO OPS AND TO ACFT FOR Y AM DEP. THEY ADVISED US THAT SECURITY PERSONNEL WOULD NOT ARRIVE AT CHK POINT UNTIL Y AM (OUR DEP TIME). UNIFORMED ARPT EMPLOYEES INSTRUCTED US THAT IT WAS OKAY TO ENTER SECURED AREA. WE DID! AFTER THE FACT WONDERED IF IT WAS LEGAL TO ENTER SECURITY AREA IN THIS WAY. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS OKAY BY PORT EMPLOYEES, ALSO WE WERE OPERATING UNDER PART 91 OPS DUE TO FERRY FLT? SUGGEST IF ACR SCHEDULES A FLT EARLIER THAN SECURITY OPENS, TO ARRANGE TO HAVE SECURITY MEET AIR CREW BEFORE FLT. DOES ACR CREW OPERATING PART 91 FERRY FALL UNDER SAME SCREENING AS PART 121 FLTS? PLEASE ANSWER IN ASRS RPTS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS TAKEN THE MATTER TO COMPANY REPESENTATIVES BUT HAS HAD NO RESPONSE AT THIS TIME. ANALYST CONTACTED CIVIL AVIATION SECURITY FIELD OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO INDICATED THAT AS LONG AS THE FLC ARE ON DUTY AND WEAR PROPER IDENT THEY ARE LEGAL TO PASS INTO SECURE AREA. THEY MUST BE OFFICIAL CREW MEMBERS HOWEVER, NOT DEAD HDG PLTS. APPLIES TO 91 AS WELL AS 121. RPTR QUITE CONCERNED THAT THE WORD BE SPREAD THROUGH CALLBACK IF POSSIBLE AS THIS HAPPENS TOO OFTEN FOR COMFORT.

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.