B757 in an emergency return land with unknown package on board. Treated as a bomb threat.

Attributes
ACN	343394
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	343394
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	343379
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

70 NM southeast of lax. Climbing through about FL190, the first flight attendant advised that a passenger seated at 12A had found a container which had moved aft on takeoff. After several PA's it became apparent that the container did not belong to anyone on the aircraft. In the meantime, we leveled the aircraft at FL220 and set the pressurization system to maintain the current cabin altitude. Contacted the dispatcher to advise them and have them check to see if the container had been left by cabin service. It had not. We returned to lax and landed 300 pounds overweight. Deplaned the passenger with airstairs and removed the unknown container. Supplemental information from acn 343379: first flight attendant informed us that a passenger in 12A had found a plastic bottle under the seat in front of her that had slid back during takeoff. Aircraft was parked at a remote site and passenger were deplaned using portable stairs and the bottle was removed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 IN AN EMER RETURN LAND WITH UNKNOWN PACKAGE ON BOARD. TREATED AS A BOMB THREAT.

Narrative: 70 NM SE OF LAX. CLBING THROUGH ABOUT FL190, THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT A PAX SEATED AT 12A HAD FOUND A CONTAINER WHICH HAD MOVED AFT ON TKOF. AFTER SEVERAL PA'S IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE CONTAINER DID NOT BELONG TO ANYONE ON THE ACFT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE LEVELED THE ACFT AT FL220 AND SET THE PRESSURIZATION SYS TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT CABIN ALT. CONTACTED THE DISPATCHER TO ADVISE THEM AND HAVE THEM CHK TO SEE IF THE CONTAINER HAD BEEN LEFT BY CABIN SVC. IT HAD NOT. WE RETURNED TO LAX AND LANDED 300 LBS OVERWT. DEPLANED THE PAX WITH AIRSTAIRS AND REMOVED THE UNKNOWN CONTAINER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 343379: FIRST FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT A PAX IN 12A HAD FOUND A PLASTIC BOTTLE UNDER THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HER THAT HAD SLID BACK DURING TKOF. ACFT WAS PARKED AT A REMOTE SITE AND PAX WERE DEPLANED USING PORTABLE STAIRS AND THE BOTTLE WAS REMOVED.

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.