Narrative:

Approximately 20 mins prior to departure, a uniformed man leaned into the cockpit and asked me to come out on the jetbridge, it was an emergency. On the jetbridge were 2 uniformed chicago police officers and the ord manager on duty of passenger service. The police officer in charge informed me that a positive bomb threat on our flight was received by the police via two 911 calls. I made a PA to the passenger asking them to exit the aircraft and to leave their personal belongings on board, per our operation manual. While the passenger were evacing, the police officer requested that I ask those remaining to take their personal belongings with them as they exited. Once all passenger were clear of the aircraft, the situation deteriorated into a disappointing display of tempers, confusion and an inability to determine who had authority/authorized over the aircraft. The chicago police were demanding control since they received the 2 threats via 911. They wanted the aircraft pushed from the gate to the safe area for inspection. The manager on duty resisted relinquishing control of the aircraft to the police. While they were debating on the jetbridge, I called dispatch and system operations center. They were not even aware of the situation taking place. Eventually the police had the aircraft pushed out for inspection. During my conversation with soc, I was informed that air carrier did not even consider this a positive threat and would not have informed me. However, I was not aware of the threat, and I stand behind my actions and those of the chicago police.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW HAD A BOMB THREAT AT THE GATE AT ORD. A JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTE ENSUED BTWN THE CHICAGO POLICE AND THE ACR. ACFT EVACED AT GATE. RAMP OP.

Narrative: APPROX 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP, A UNIFORMED MAN LEANED INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED ME TO COME OUT ON THE JETBRIDGE, IT WAS AN EMER. ON THE JETBRIDGE WERE 2 UNIFORMED CHICAGO POLICE OFFICERS AND THE ORD MGR ON DUTY OF PAX SVC. THE POLICE OFFICER IN CHARGE INFORMED ME THAT A POSITIVE BOMB THREAT ON OUR FLT WAS RECEIVED BY THE POLICE VIA TWO 911 CALLS. I MADE A PA TO THE PAX ASKING THEM TO EXIT THE ACFT AND TO LEAVE THEIR PERSONAL BELONGINGS ON BOARD, PER OUR OP MANUAL. WHILE THE PAX WERE EVACING, THE POLICE OFFICER REQUESTED THAT I ASK THOSE REMAINING TO TAKE THEIR PERSONAL BELONGINGS WITH THEM AS THEY EXITED. ONCE ALL PAX WERE CLR OF THE ACFT, THE SIT DETERIORATED INTO A DISAPPOINTING DISPLAY OF TEMPERS, CONFUSION AND AN INABILITY TO DETERMINE WHO HAD AUTH OVER THE ACFT. THE CHICAGO POLICE WERE DEMANDING CTL SINCE THEY RECEIVED THE 2 THREATS VIA 911. THEY WANTED THE ACFT PUSHED FROM THE GATE TO THE SAFE AREA FOR INSPECTION. THE MGR ON DUTY RESISTED RELINQUISHING CTL OF THE ACFT TO THE POLICE. WHILE THEY WERE DEBATING ON THE JETBRIDGE, I CALLED DISPATCH AND SYS OPS CTR. THEY WERE NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE SIT TAKING PLACE. EVENTUALLY THE POLICE HAD THE ACFT PUSHED OUT FOR INSPECTION. DURING MY CONVERSATION WITH SOC, I WAS INFORMED THAT ACR DID NOT EVEN CONSIDER THIS A POSITIVE THREAT AND WOULD NOT HAVE INFORMED ME. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE THREAT, AND I STAND BEHIND MY ACTIONS AND THOSE OF THE CHICAGO POLICE.

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.