Narrative:

At departure time, agent started to close the door. Flight attendant asked, 'where is the general declaration?' agent said, 'you don't need it, we will facsimile it to mty' and closed door. Flight attendant told me as brakes were released and cleared for pushback. Rather than take delay and look in part 1, which I should have done, I called dispatch and asked them to call mod and see if this was really legal. It had been 3 months since I had gone to mty, thought there might be new procedure. They called back and he said ramp manager said it was ok, they do it all the time. So we pressed on to mty, no declaration. En route I thought what if for any reason we had to divert and landed in mex and no general declaration, not good. Landed mty, no problems. At hotel I looked in part 1 section 17 -- states general declarations will be on board and it is not to be faxed. Also, crews going to mex must sign general declaration by their name. Next day at departure, I asked station manager if the facsimile deal works. He said no, it should be on board but sometimes they do facsimile it, but real one should be on board. What is the answer? Unless I see or hear otherwise, I will stop, take delay until whoever is responsible for general declarations gives them to us. I don't need to be in jail or airplane impounded in mex due to diversion or whatever. The agent in dfw at departure was only after the 'good ol' departure time' and was mad that we even asked about it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOKKER 100 READY TO LEAVE THE GATE WHEN THE CABIN ATTENDANT ADVISED NO GENERAL DECLARATION WAS ON BOARD THE ACFT. PAX AGENT HAD ADVISED IT WOULD BE FAXED TO MTY. NOT LEGAL ACCORDING TO COMPANY REG.

Narrative: AT DEP TIME, AGENT STARTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. FLT ATTENDANT ASKED, 'WHERE IS THE GENERAL DECLARATION?' AGENT SAID, 'YOU DON'T NEED IT, WE WILL FAX IT TO MTY' AND CLOSED DOOR. FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME AS BRAKES WERE RELEASED AND CLRED FOR PUSHBACK. RATHER THAN TAKE DELAY AND LOOK IN PART 1, WHICH I SHOULD HAVE DONE, I CALLED DISPATCH AND ASKED THEM TO CALL MOD AND SEE IF THIS WAS REALLY LEGAL. IT HAD BEEN 3 MONTHS SINCE I HAD GONE TO MTY, THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE NEW PROC. THEY CALLED BACK AND HE SAID RAMP MGR SAID IT WAS OK, THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME. SO WE PRESSED ON TO MTY, NO DECLARATION. ENRTE I THOUGHT WHAT IF FOR ANY REASON WE HAD TO DIVERT AND LANDED IN MEX AND NO GENERAL DECLARATION, NOT GOOD. LANDED MTY, NO PROBS. AT HOTEL I LOOKED IN PART 1 SECTION 17 -- STATES GENERAL DECLARATIONS WILL BE ON BOARD AND IT IS NOT TO BE FAXED. ALSO, CREWS GOING TO MEX MUST SIGN GENERAL DECLARATION BY THEIR NAME. NEXT DAY AT DEP, I ASKED STATION MGR IF THE FAX DEAL WORKS. HE SAID NO, IT SHOULD BE ON BOARD BUT SOMETIMES THEY DO FAX IT, BUT REAL ONE SHOULD BE ON BOARD. WHAT IS THE ANSWER? UNLESS I SEE OR HEAR OTHERWISE, I WILL STOP, TAKE DELAY UNTIL WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GENERAL DECLARATIONS GIVES THEM TO US. I DON'T NEED TO BE IN JAIL OR AIRPLANE IMPOUNDED IN MEX DUE TO DIVERSION OR WHATEVER. THE AGENT IN DFW AT DEP WAS ONLY AFTER THE 'GOOD OL' DEP TIME' AND WAS MAD THAT WE EVEN ASKED ABOUT IT.

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.