Narrative:

At approximately XA10 local, a sergeant and officer of the las vegas metropolitan police came to the aircraft and told me there was a man talking to a baggage agent about a bomb that was on our aircraft. I deplaned all the passenger and crew. The auths had already called for a bomb sniffing dog, the fbi, and an x-ray machine. Airline personnel moved the aircraft off the gate to a remote area so the auths could sweep the aircraft. Initially the passenger were told that there was a mechanical problem but later they were informed that there was a security threat. I notified dispatcher on duty, manager on duty and worked with las manager on duty. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: 2 or 3 mins before departure, las vegas police informed captain that they had received a bomb threat. Identify of flight, passenger involved, and garment bag had been given to airline baggage service. Captain told passenger of 'mechanical' and had them deplane. Airport manager ordered aircraft removed from gate. After hours of bag searching (not completed) and dog sniffing, everyone agreed that the threat was false. During the incident, reporter learned that security threat decisions were a 'company call.' he was inflamed by this and states that they (the airline) just collect the insurance, the people on the aircraft lose -- all it takes is a clever person to do serious damage. This policy has since been discussed by company and union, and new policy is anticipated. It turns out that the only reason the police were called is because the airport switchboard operator extracted information from baggage person, and took it upon herself to contact police. Captain feels she should receive a gold STAR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC RECEIVED A BOMB THREAT MINS BEFORE DEP. THE CAPT HAD ACFT DEPLANED AND SECURITY CHK WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA10 LCL, A SERGEANT AND OFFICER OF THE LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE CAME TO THE ACFT AND TOLD ME THERE WAS A MAN TALKING TO A BAGGAGE AGENT ABOUT A BOMB THAT WAS ON OUR ACFT. I DEPLANED ALL THE PAX AND CREW. THE AUTHS HAD ALREADY CALLED FOR A BOMB SNIFFING DOG, THE FBI, AND AN X-RAY MACHINE. AIRLINE PERSONNEL MOVED THE ACFT OFF THE GATE TO A REMOTE AREA SO THE AUTHS COULD SWEEP THE ACFT. INITIALLY THE PAX WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL PROB BUT LATER THEY WERE INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SECURITY THREAT. I NOTIFIED DISPATCHER ON DUTY, MGR ON DUTY AND WORKED WITH LAS MGR ON DUTY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: 2 OR 3 MINS BEFORE DEP, LAS VEGAS POLICE INFORMED CAPT THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A BOMB THREAT. IDENT OF FLT, PAX INVOLVED, AND GARMENT BAG HAD BEEN GIVEN TO AIRLINE BAGGAGE SVC. CAPT TOLD PAX OF 'MECHANICAL' AND HAD THEM DEPLANE. ARPT MGR ORDERED ACFT REMOVED FROM GATE. AFTER HRS OF BAG SEARCHING (NOT COMPLETED) AND DOG SNIFFING, EVERYONE AGREED THAT THE THREAT WAS FALSE. DURING THE INCIDENT, RPTR LEARNED THAT SECURITY THREAT DECISIONS WERE A 'COMPANY CALL.' HE WAS INFLAMED BY THIS AND STATES THAT THEY (THE AIRLINE) JUST COLLECT THE INSURANCE, THE PEOPLE ON THE ACFT LOSE -- ALL IT TAKES IS A CLEVER PERSON TO DO SERIOUS DAMAGE. THIS POLICY HAS SINCE BEEN DISCUSSED BY COMPANY AND UNION, AND NEW POLICY IS ANTICIPATED. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ONLY REASON THE POLICE WERE CALLED IS BECAUSE THE ARPT SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR EXTRACTED INFO FROM BAGGAGE PERSON, AND TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO CONTACT POLICE. CAPT FEELS SHE SHOULD RECEIVE A GOLD STAR.

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.