Narrative:

After arriving at mobile on a scheduled flight, I departed the plane and proceeded toward our FBO, whose ramp adjoins the airline terminal ramp at the end of a fence line. My captain and flight attendant were aware of my intentions, and did not object as they walked to the terminal. It was about a 300 yard walk between where the aircraft was parked and the door to the FBO. There was no sign posted anywhere proclaiming any illegal action or that I was transitioning from a secure to an unsecured area. Also, at no time did I jeopardize the safety of any operations being conducted. If any rules had been broken, it was completely discreet, unintentional, and non-deliberate. My intentions, in going to the FBO were to make a phone call and look for a particular article from a magazine that an FBO might typically subscribe to. I left the FBO to walk back to the airplane across the ramp, again, not knowing I was leaving an unsecured area for a secured area. I walked directly to the airplane, boarded, and within 5 mins was approached by what I assume was an airport police officer. He asked if I had crossed the ramp and if I knew I had violated the security rule. I admitted to walking across, and claimed no knowledge of breaking the law. He asked for my company identification, and wrote down information from it on a piece of paper as well as calling it over his portable radio. He informed me of what I had done and stayed on the airplane until the mobile lead agent for company came on board. He promptly informed me this 'happens all the time,' and we discussed several things which could prevent this from happening again, including the airport authority/authorized placing a warning sign on the fence partially separating the airline and FBO ramps. Within 3 mins, agent left the airplane and I remained on board until departure time. My conversations with both the officer and agent were polite and unprovoking. At the time of the incident, I wore my full uniform, including hat and company badge so as to be easily identified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT TERMINAL SECURITY VIOLATION BY TRANSIENT FO.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING AT MOBILE ON A SCHEDULED FLT, I DEPARTED THE PLANE AND PROCEEDED TOWARD OUR FBO, WHOSE RAMP ADJOINS THE AIRLINE TERMINAL RAMP AT THE END OF A FENCE LINE. MY CAPT AND FLT ATTENDANT WERE AWARE OF MY INTENTIONS, AND DID NOT OBJECT AS THEY WALKED TO THE TERMINAL. IT WAS ABOUT A 300 YARD WALK BTWN WHERE THE ACFT WAS PARKED AND THE DOOR TO THE FBO. THERE WAS NO SIGN POSTED ANYWHERE PROCLAIMING ANY ILLEGAL ACTION OR THAT I WAS TRANSITIONING FROM A SECURE TO AN UNSECURED AREA. ALSO, AT NO TIME DID I JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF ANY OPS BEING CONDUCTED. IF ANY RULES HAD BEEN BROKEN, IT WAS COMPLETELY DISCREET, UNINTENTIONAL, AND NON-DELIBERATE. MY INTENTIONS, IN GOING TO THE FBO WERE TO MAKE A PHONE CALL AND LOOK FOR A PARTICULAR ARTICLE FROM A MAGAZINE THAT AN FBO MIGHT TYPICALLY SUBSCRIBE TO. I LEFT THE FBO TO WALK BACK TO THE AIRPLANE ACROSS THE RAMP, AGAIN, NOT KNOWING I WAS LEAVING AN UNSECURED AREA FOR A SECURED AREA. I WALKED DIRECTLY TO THE AIRPLANE, BOARDED, AND WITHIN 5 MINS WAS APCHED BY WHAT I ASSUME WAS AN AIRPORT POLICE OFFICER. HE ASKED IF I HAD CROSSED THE RAMP AND IF I KNEW I HAD VIOLATED THE SECURITY RULE. I ADMITTED TO WALKING ACROSS, AND CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF BREAKING THE LAW. HE ASKED FOR MY COMPANY ID, AND WROTE DOWN INFO FROM IT ON A PIECE OF PAPER AS WELL AS CALLING IT OVER HIS PORTABLE RADIO. HE INFORMED ME OF WHAT I HAD DONE AND STAYED ON THE AIRPLANE UNTIL THE MOBILE LEAD AGENT FOR COMPANY CAME ON BOARD. HE PROMPTLY INFORMED ME THIS 'HAPPENS ALL THE TIME,' AND WE DISCUSSED SEVERAL THINGS WHICH COULD PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, INCLUDING THE AIRPORT AUTH PLACING A WARNING SIGN ON THE FENCE PARTIALLY SEPARATING THE AIRLINE AND FBO RAMPS. WITHIN 3 MINS, AGENT LEFT THE AIRPLANE AND I REMAINED ON BOARD UNTIL DEP TIME. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH THE OFFICER AND AGENT WERE POLITE AND UNPROVOKING. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, I WORE MY FULL UNIFORM, INCLUDING HAT AND COMPANY BADGE SO AS TO BE EASILY IDENTIFIED.

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.