Narrative:

I was working R-1 (first class galley). The flight was oversold and the agents were very concerned about an 'on time' departure. We had 1 additional crew member deadheading and 1 extra cabin attendant deadheading. A few mins before closing the door we had several passenger standing -- the agents, ms X (aic) and another agent came on to pull people off. It was apparent to us that everyone had seats. The overhead bins were all closed and everyone seated -- we told the captain that everyone was seated and we blocked out. It was after the seat belt sign was off that our extra cabin attendant deadheading came up and told us we had a stowaway in the aft lavatory. We had a briefing with the captain and the additional crew members, deadhead crew and commuters. The captain made radio contact and we continued to st louis. Our extra cabin attendant deadheading had the most contact with the stowaway. He told her he was just out of a rehabilitation center for drugs and had been dealing drugs and the fbi was after him. His eyes were dilated and he was nervous. He told extra cabin attendant deadheading he got himself past that agent and he knew how to stow away, and he knew what he did was wrong. He wanted to buy a ticket and gave extra cabin attendant deadheading his mother's name. He also told her he had a locker in sfo and gave her the locker number and that he had thrown away several items in trash cans. A deadheading captain and another pilot watched the stowaway during our service and kept him occupied. I kept him out of first class and the cockpit. We 'parked' a crew member near him at all times. We kept him in the rear of the aircraft for landing/and at the back of the aircraft for deplaning until the proper people could remove him. I had no contact with the stowaway. I worked the first class section. I would like to thank extra cabin attendant deadheading for all her help and the other crew members. Since boarding cards are no longer checked and an 'on time' departure is so important -- it puts pressure on everyone -- rushing can lead to human error. He was nervous but seemed harmless physically. In the future someone should be assigned to check lavatories prior to closing of the door. Supplemental information from acn 368256: once the coach service was over and the carts were out of the aisle, I placed a cart at an angle between first class and coach. Just in case the stowaway went 'crazy' it might slow him down or alert us that he was coming forward. He came forward once after extra cabin attendant deadheading came forward to report to the captain. He was told he wasn't allowed in first class, and he returned to coach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STOWAWAY IS FOUND ON BOARD AN MD80 ABOUT 35 MINS AFTER TKOF FROM SFO. THE ACFT WAS OVERSOLD AND AGENTS WERE CONCERNED WITH AN ON TIME DEP. MAN WAS FOUND IN AFT LAVATORY AFTER TKOF. DETAINED AT DEST ARPT, STL.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING R-1 (FIRST CLASS GALLEY). THE FLT WAS OVERSOLD AND THE AGENTS WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT AN 'ON TIME' DEP. WE HAD 1 ADDITIONAL CREW MEMBER DEADHEADING AND 1 EXTRA CABIN ATTENDANT DEADHEADING. A FEW MINS BEFORE CLOSING THE DOOR WE HAD SEVERAL PAX STANDING -- THE AGENTS, MS X (AIC) AND ANOTHER AGENT CAME ON TO PULL PEOPLE OFF. IT WAS APPARENT TO US THAT EVERYONE HAD SEATS. THE OVERHEAD BINS WERE ALL CLOSED AND EVERYONE SEATED -- WE TOLD THE CAPT THAT EVERYONE WAS SEATED AND WE BLOCKED OUT. IT WAS AFTER THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS OFF THAT OUR EXTRA CABIN ATTENDANT DEADHEADING CAME UP AND TOLD US WE HAD A STOWAWAY IN THE AFT LAVATORY. WE HAD A BRIEFING WITH THE CAPT AND THE ADDITIONAL CREW MEMBERS, DEADHEAD CREW AND COMMUTERS. THE CAPT MADE RADIO CONTACT AND WE CONTINUED TO ST LOUIS. OUR EXTRA CABIN ATTENDANT DEADHEADING HAD THE MOST CONTACT WITH THE STOWAWAY. HE TOLD HER HE WAS JUST OUT OF A REHABILITATION CTR FOR DRUGS AND HAD BEEN DEALING DRUGS AND THE FBI WAS AFTER HIM. HIS EYES WERE DILATED AND HE WAS NERVOUS. HE TOLD EXTRA CABIN ATTENDANT DEADHEADING HE GOT HIMSELF PAST THAT AGENT AND HE KNEW HOW TO STOW AWAY, AND HE KNEW WHAT HE DID WAS WRONG. HE WANTED TO BUY A TICKET AND GAVE EXTRA CABIN ATTENDANT DEADHEADING HIS MOTHER'S NAME. HE ALSO TOLD HER HE HAD A LOCKER IN SFO AND GAVE HER THE LOCKER NUMBER AND THAT HE HAD THROWN AWAY SEVERAL ITEMS IN TRASH CANS. A DEADHEADING CAPT AND ANOTHER PLT WATCHED THE STOWAWAY DURING OUR SVC AND KEPT HIM OCCUPIED. I KEPT HIM OUT OF FIRST CLASS AND THE COCKPIT. WE 'PARKED' A CREW MEMBER NEAR HIM AT ALL TIMES. WE KEPT HIM IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT FOR LNDG/AND AT THE BACK OF THE ACFT FOR DEPLANING UNTIL THE PROPER PEOPLE COULD REMOVE HIM. I HAD NO CONTACT WITH THE STOWAWAY. I WORKED THE FIRST CLASS SECTION. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EXTRA CABIN ATTENDANT DEADHEADING FOR ALL HER HELP AND THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS. SINCE BOARDING CARDS ARE NO LONGER CHKED AND AN 'ON TIME' DEP IS SO IMPORTANT -- IT PUTS PRESSURE ON EVERYONE -- RUSHING CAN LEAD TO HUMAN ERROR. HE WAS NERVOUS BUT SEEMED HARMLESS PHYSICALLY. IN THE FUTURE SOMEONE SHOULD BE ASSIGNED TO CHK LAVATORIES PRIOR TO CLOSING OF THE DOOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 368256: ONCE THE COACH SVC WAS OVER AND THE CARTS WERE OUT OF THE AISLE, I PLACED A CART AT AN ANGLE BTWN FIRST CLASS AND COACH. JUST IN CASE THE STOWAWAY WENT 'CRAZY' IT MIGHT SLOW HIM DOWN OR ALERT US THAT HE WAS COMING FORWARD. HE CAME FORWARD ONCE AFTER EXTRA CABIN ATTENDANT DEADHEADING CAME FORWARD TO RPT TO THE CAPT. HE WAS TOLD HE WASN'T ALLOWED IN FIRST CLASS, AND HE RETURNED TO COACH.

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.