Narrative:

At gate, department informed us we had a full house and 2 flight attendants. Load close out indicated 91 passenger. We checked with #1 and she said her paperwork indicated 8/84. We asked her to check by seat count. At the end of the runway she told us we still had 92 passenger. We called operations to check their paperwork and they said they were right at 91. I told them the close out had to be right if the count was 92. We checked some passenger names and seats as suggested to us by operations. They then offered to change passenger count for load without finding the problem. I was concerned about security and if we (had) some undocked passenger on board. We went back to the gate. Where many passenger counts later and a matching of names of boarding passes and passenger list came up with 91. Agents counted 92 when they got on board. Agents then did a last count and found 91. Flight attendant counted 91. Lap children made 3 more. Close out and count were not right. Lavs were checked no passenger found. The main passenger door had been occupied by agents or crew after gate arrival. We now had load and passenger count matching. I decided to go. I saw no one try to sneak off the aircraft. I checked lavs back in ord and found no passenger. No extra bags in yow or ord and no passenger raised any concern to myself or crew. I have no idea.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG RETURNED TO THE GATE AFTER CABIN RPTED PAX OVERLOAD.

Narrative: AT GATE, DEPARTMENT INFORMED US WE HAD A FULL HOUSE AND 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. LOAD CLOSE OUT INDICATED 91 PAX. WE CHKED WITH #1 AND SHE SAID HER PAPERWORK INDICATED 8/84. WE ASKED HER TO CHK BY SEAT COUNT. AT THE END OF THE RWY SHE TOLD US WE STILL HAD 92 PAX. WE CALLED OPS TO CHK THEIR PAPERWORK AND THEY SAID THEY WERE RIGHT AT 91. I TOLD THEM THE CLOSE OUT HAD TO BE RIGHT IF THE COUNT WAS 92. WE CHKED SOME PAX NAMES AND SEATS AS SUGGESTED TO US BY OPS. THEY THEN OFFERED TO CHANGE PAX COUNT FOR LOAD WITHOUT FINDING THE PROB. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY AND IF WE (HAD) SOME UNDOCKED PAX ON BOARD. WE WENT BACK TO THE GATE. WHERE MANY PAX COUNTS LATER AND A MATCHING OF NAMES OF BOARDING PASSES AND PAX LIST CAME UP WITH 91. AGENTS COUNTED 92 WHEN THEY GOT ON BOARD. AGENTS THEN DID A LAST COUNT AND FOUND 91. FLT ATTENDANT COUNTED 91. LAP CHILDREN MADE 3 MORE. CLOSE OUT AND COUNT WERE NOT RIGHT. LAVS WERE CHKED NO PAX FOUND. THE MAIN PAX DOOR HAD BEEN OCCUPIED BY AGENTS OR CREW AFTER GATE ARR. WE NOW HAD LOAD AND PAX COUNT MATCHING. I DECIDED TO GO. I SAW NO ONE TRY TO SNEAK OFF THE ACFT. I CHKED LAVS BACK IN ORD AND FOUND NO PAX. NO EXTRA BAGS IN YOW OR ORD AND NO PAX RAISED ANY CONCERN TO MYSELF OR CREW. I HAVE NO IDEA.

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.