An air carrier light transport had to search a passenger's bag when the flight attendant thought tha...

Attributes
ACN	341532
Time
Date	199607
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	341532
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2950 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	341513
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While boarding passenger for a regular scheduled flight, it was brought to my attention by the flight attendant that a passenger, after being asked to leave his carry on bag at the bottom of the stairs to be placed in the rear cargo section, replied, 'I have a bomb in my bag.' the passenger was then deplaned and escorted by the ramper back inside where it was established that the passenger (who was hispanic with a very heavy accent) had actually said 'I have a bag in my bag.' apparently he had a computer in a bag in the carry on bag and didn't want it damaged in the back. The bag was thoroughly searched and placed in the cargo section and the passenger reboarded. It was in my judgement a language problem and not a threat of any kind. Supplemental information from acn 341513: after the aircraft was closed and thinking the passenger was removed, the flight attendant said she was still uncomfortable with the man in the plane. Later, we found out from the flight attendant that the man did say bomb, different from what the man had said before. Being new, I did not fully know the correct procedure and having a captain who never would make a decision. The correct procedure for this event never took place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT HAD TO SEARCH A PAX'S BAG WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT THOUGHT THAT HE SAID 'BOMB' WHEN HE MEANT 'BAG.' THE PAX HAD A HVY SPANISH ACCENT.

Narrative: WHILE BOARDING PAX FOR A REGULAR SCHEDULED FLT, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN BY THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX, AFTER BEING ASKED TO LEAVE HIS CARRY ON BAG AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS TO BE PLACED IN THE REAR CARGO SECTION, REPLIED, 'I HAVE A BOMB IN MY BAG.' THE PAX WAS THEN DEPLANED AND ESCORTED BY THE RAMPER BACK INSIDE WHERE IT WAS ESTABLISHED THAT THE PAX (WHO WAS HISPANIC WITH A VERY HVY ACCENT) HAD ACTUALLY SAID 'I HAVE A BAG IN MY BAG.' APPARENTLY HE HAD A COMPUTER IN A BAG IN THE CARRY ON BAG AND DIDN'T WANT IT DAMAGED IN THE BACK. THE BAG WAS THOROUGHLY SEARCHED AND PLACED IN THE CARGO SECTION AND THE PAX REBOARDED. IT WAS IN MY JUDGEMENT A LANGUAGE PROB AND NOT A THREAT OF ANY KIND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 341513: AFTER THE ACFT WAS CLOSED AND THINKING THE PAX WAS REMOVED, THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE MAN IN THE PLANE. LATER, WE FOUND OUT FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT THE MAN DID SAY BOMB, DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE MAN HAD SAID BEFORE. BEING NEW, I DID NOT FULLY KNOW THE CORRECT PROC AND HAVING A CAPT WHO NEVER WOULD MAKE A DECISION. THE CORRECT PROC FOR THIS EVENT NEVER TOOK PLACE.

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.

An air carrier light transport had to search a passenger's bag when the flight attendant thought that he said 'bomb' when he meant 'bag.' the passenger had a heavy spanish accent.